HELPING OUT SUPERMOM: GENDER-AWARE POLICYMAKING MOTHERING IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY AMERICAN WORKFORCE

Feminists have long debated whether the path to gender equality requires treating men and women the same or differently. Answering this question is fundamental to the formulation of policies that address women's disproportionate contribution to unpaid caretaking labor. Should feminists promote gender-neutral policies to avoid cementing the notion that women should perform this labor? Or should advocates pursue policies aimed directly at women to better meet their unique needs? This Note argues that feminists should instead adopt a third strategy: gender-aware policymaking. Gender-aware policies are acutely alert and responsive to gendered realities but do not explicitly distinguish on the basis of sex. By endorsing gender-aware policies, feminists can simultaneously satisfy women's pressing, short-term needs and affirm a vision where parents of all genders can and should contribute to the rearing of children.