CNN disappoints me a lot, but I think they were right on with this commentary about a sexist remark by Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell (D). Next to a microphone that was on, he said in a private conversation about Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano (Obama's choice to lead the Homeland Security Department): "Janet's perfect for that job. Because for that job, you have to have no life. Janet has no family. Perfect. She can devote, literally, 19-20 hours a day to it."
Wow, right? And CNN's Campbell Brown rightly points out that surely Napolitano has a lot of other qualifications for the job than having no family and therefore allegedly no life. She also points out that the current male in that position and his male predecessor both have families, yet are still able to do their jobs and no one questioned that they would be able to do them despite having families...
In closing, she makes three more overall points about this sexist remark and the assumptions that go with it:
"1. If a man had been Obama's choice for the job, would having a family or not having a family ever even have been an issue? Would it have ever prompted a comment? Probably not. We all know the assumption tends to be that with a man, there is almost always a wife in the wings managing those family concerns.
2. As a woman, hearing this, it is hard not to wonder if we are counted out for certain jobs, certain opportunities, because we do have a family or because we are in our child-bearing years. Are we? It is a fair question.
3. If you are a childless, single woman with suspicions that you get stuck working holidays, weekends and the more burdensome shifts more often than your colleagues with families, are those suspicions well-founded? Probably so. Is there an assumption that if you're family-free then you have no life? By some, yes."
I think Governor Rendell's comment is really indicative of the challenges women face in the workforce and help explain part of the reason why there are so few of us at the top. And when will men take equal responsibility for families and when will companies and society as a whole let them and let women be successful even when they do have a life outside of work?
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I love Campbell Brown, and she hit it right on target.
Another question to ask is: when will society stop expecting women to take full responsibility for the well-being of their families?
speakHer.blogspot.com
Sorry to be repeating Rachel in WY! Her post was published after I submitted mine. When I read the CNN article I checked both sides of feministing to be sure it hadn't been covered yet. Now you all get 2 posts :)
exactly, SpeakHer. that's what I was trying to get at when I asked when will men take equal responsibility for their families (and then presumably women can take less than full)
has he apologized yet?
Ugh. Your commentary is right on.
I also hate this stupid idea that if you have no husband and/or no children, you have "no family." Bullshit. There are other ways to have family.