Comments on: No Family = Perfect Woman for the Job

By: scipta

scipta — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 07:37:29 +0000

I think this is male chauvinist because I don’t think the women who have children can pay less attention to her work. Today many women came out of their houses and manage their work and family very well.

By: ThatitisEdward

ThatitisEdward — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 23:46:47 +0000

It isn’t sexist to think that an unattached person without children will commit more time to a job. Before being married and having kids (and regrettably even when the kids were babies) I routinely put in 70+ hours per week. That set my career up and got me ahead of less committed (or more family committed) colleagues. Now, however, the demands of family have me working a lot less – and my employer suffers for it.

By: Sandy Kirkpatrick

Sandy Kirkpatrick — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 17:10:29 +0000

Jayne brings up an important point. That’s why it seems to me that AAUW’s work is so important. On the one hand, we advocate for pay equity — that women are paid the same and have the same opportunities as men. On the other hand, we advocate for sane workplace conditions for ALL workers on issues like family leave, etc.

That’s what makes our organization one that should appeal to all people, regardless of gender. Surely most men don’t aspire to a career that means they have no time for their families… or themselves!

It shouldn’t matter whether a person is married with children or single and/or childless. Everyone needs a healthy balance between work and personal life, including national leaders.

By: Jayne

Jayne — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 21:55:56 +0000

The remark was gender specific when he made it ; it is horrible that a governor even thinks this.

I thought we had come further than that kind of thing. However, even those with a family are expected to make sacrifices today which are horrible for the children. Our daughter and son-in-law travel more now than in the past — and lose valuable contact with their children.

I participated in a workplace seminar In 1994 where corporations promised to begin Childcare Eeducation Centers. This hasn’t been accomplished. It needs to be a priority to provide quality educational training for our next generation of leaders when their parents are expected to work abnormal hours.

Sharing jobs that have a greater than normal time expectancy could also certainly be a step in the right direction.

Nobody should be expected to spend 24 hours on a job at the neglect of their own “family” OR “life of their own”.

By: Marian

Marian — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 22:05:50 +0000

Gov. Rendell’s remarks are not particularly sexist, but they are discriminatory toward single people. My daughter and her significant other are both single and get disproportionate work assignment, because they do not have a “family.”