I'm all right, Jac(queline)

Women are their own worst enemies.  True to form, newly-elected Alison Redford stuck it to the women in her cabinet by giving them the "soft" portfolios.  Of 19 members, only three are women.  Heather Klimchuk gets 'Culture'; Christine Cusanelli, 'Tourism, Parks & Recreation'; and Diana McQueen, Environment.  No finance, infrastructure, justice, education or health for the gals.  No siree, it's basically, well.... parties.

It's the female version of "I'm all right, Jack".  I guess Redford doesn't want any other women dogged by the media and sharing the spotlight.  I mean, who's really gonna care about culture, tourism and other related soriees?  The press hounds will be paying attention to her ladyship, the premier, and the other hard portfolios held by the men.  It's so obvious and such a slap in the face to the women of her cabinet and the province.

If you read this blog regularly you will know I am no "libber" -- and it's basically because of women like Redford that I am not.  When I retired, I decided to send out a message of farewell, thanking all those colleagues and bosses who had mentored and helped me throughout my career -- and there have been plenty.  But do you think I could come up with one women over 40 years?  Not one.  Starting with my first job at IBM and on through, only men had spotted a bit of brains to develop and work with.  When women in my era spotted brains, they tried to banish them.  It's no different now.  Something very basic and primitive is at work here.  

"How can there not have been one women who helped me," I incredulously asked my husband.  "Come on, help me think of one."  He couldn't.  I certainly had a long list of women who had tried to thwart me (unsuccessfully), but not one who had reached down into the trenches and offered a helping hand.  Pretty sickening.  Maybe it was because I needed the best people to work for me -- regardless of sex -- so I could attend to the thousands of other stuff I had to take care of with four kids and a very full outside life.  I wanted to delegate to capable people.  How grateful I was when I found a really talented man or woman to take the pressure off me.  As a result, I hired many smart women and considered myself lucky to have found them.

As I have said, never underestimate envy in the workplace.