The Problem

Two different but equally important types of work are fundamental to the structure of our society and the growth and stability of our economy: market work, which centers on the production of material goods and profit-making; and caregiving, which maintains the health and well-being of the population.

Even though the work we describe as "caregiving" frequently requires an exceptional investment of human effort -- including time, labor, resources and mental focus -- the activity of caregivers remains largely unstudied and unmeasured as a meaningful contribution to society. Caregiving is almost universally underpaid or unpaid, and those who have significant caregiving responsibilities in the home are often excluded from either public or private systems of support that might protect them from undue hardship. In a culture relentlessly dedicated to elevating the prestige and social power of individuals who demonstrate the greatest earning potential, the vital role of caregiving as a social and economic asset -- and the broader concerns of those who provide care - are easily discounted and dismissed.

Workplace standards that require unlimited work on demand from the most valued employees exclude mothers, fathers, and other individuals who wish to be actively involved in caring for their families from good jobs with good pay. Part-time work is often proposed as an ideal solution to balancing paid work with the responsibilities of family care, but most part-time jobs available in the existing market are poorly paid and offer no benefits and limited possibility for advancement.

Something in our society is out of balance. We place disproportionate value on market work, while caregiving work gets none at all. We heap praise and esteem on those who can make money for themselves and others, but those who provide care as part of their daily lives are considered less productive, and less socially significant.

Mothers are the ones most hurt by this imbalance because we are the ones who do the bulk of the caregiving work and often perform both market work and caregiving work. Both are vital to society, and both require time, energy and resources. Together, mothers can help themselves and everyone else by forcing attention to this imbalance and its negative impacts on mothers, families and society.

As an organization prepared to educate and to take action on behalf of mothers, we simply want what is fair. Mothers, and all citizens, deserve workplace practices and public policies that respect and reflect all the work that is central to the strength of our society.