Parental Benefit Policies and the Gendered Division of Labor

From a feminist perspective, I examine three policy responses to pregnant workers, with program details from Canada, Sweden, and the United States. How countries chose their program model, the interest groups that supported each type of program, and the implications of these policy options for the gendered division of labor are discussed. Neither labor force participation rates nor family roles are altered substantially by choice of model, but statutory protections do make working women's lives easier and improve their economic status.