No, not directly. MOTHERS is saying that all sectors of society, including business, fathers, and taxpayers, need to share the costs of raising children, which are still overwhelming borne by mothers. This can be done if we acknowledge that caregiving is real work, equivalent to any other kind of productive work. This work needs to be taken into account when policymakers draft legislation on workplace policies, divorce law, social security, and welfare.

For example, nannies get Social Security credits but mothers do not. Full-time employed workers qualify for unemployment insurance and workman's compensation, but most mothers, including those working part-time or at home do not. We believe that this is blatantly unfair and a major reason why motherhood is the single biggest risk factor for poverty in America.

Even if you do not have children, it is in your best interest to support the people who are producing our future workforce. Other people's children will pay for your Social Security, police your streets, and possibly even care for you in your old age. Further, we advocate support for all caregivers, not just mothers, including all those who care for an elderly parent, or a sick or disabled spouse or loved one. All people need some kind of care during their lifetimes, and most of us become caregivers ourselves, so virtually everyone suffers when caregiving is penalized or neglected.

Some businesses have made great strides toward helping employees balance work and family, but there is still a lot that needs to be done. The U.S. is one of only five countries that doesn't guarantee parents the right to a paid leave after childbirth. As a result, American mothers have to run back to work sooner than women in other developed countries, and we have more infants in daycare than any other advanced country.

People also have no right to an optional shorter work week. If they are able to work fewer than 40 hours a week, they often have an unequal rate of pay, no benefits, and little or no chance of advancement. We advocate a rule of proportionality: the right to a shorter work week with proportionate benefits and rate of advancement. This won't advantage mothers over other employees, or hurt business; it might even improve productivity.

Business also benefits greatly from a better prepared workforce. Nobel prize-winning economists now agree that investing in early education, including parents, is the best economic investment we could make. Parents and other early educators are producing "human capital," the human capabilities that are the major source of national wealth. By enabling mothers to earn more by enabling families to have greater resources to invest in their children, we are enhancing our productivity and prosperity.

MOTHERS believes that women should be able to choose the work arrangement that is most appropriate for themselves and their families. We support policies that help all caregivers, whether they work full-time, part-time or unpaid in the home. For example, we advocate converting the child tax credit into a refundable caregiver tax credit; the inclusion of all unpaid household labor in the GDP; and greater recognition in divorce law of the caregiving contribution to the family. We advocate individual taxation, which would improve the take-home pay of working mothers, rich and poor, and Social Security credit for family work, which would raise the retirement income of an estimated eight million people, most of them mothers.

No. MOTHERS is advocating for a group of workers who happen to be mostly women. This is not only consistent with feminist goals, we believe it is the big unfinished business of the women's movement. Women are still relatively disadvantaged economically because much if not most of the work they do is still accorded no economic value.

Mothers may be happy with their caregiving roles, for motherhood can be a deeply rewarding as well as valuable experience. But the fact remains that motherhood is still penalized, rather than encouraged. This is why so many women postpone having children, or forego having children altogether. The U.S., which supports motherhood less than any other developed country, has as a result the highest rate of childlessness. And those who do become mothers pay a much higher price than is necessary. Mothers with a college degree, for example, can easily lose a million dollars or more in lifetime earnings just by having one child, largely because the workplace is so un-family friendly.

In any event, MOTHERS is not telling mothers they have to work 40 hours a week or else. The voices discouraging time spent with children are not ours.

Fathers are incredibly important, and this initiative will help them be better caregivers as well. Because of long hours and anti-family workplace policies, many fathers are prevented from spending the time they would like with their families. They can take advantage of parental leave and the option of a shorter workweek. They will gain if mothers have higher incomes. And maybe, if caregiving were not so costly to the caregivers, more men might be motivated to do more of it.

For decades feminists have advocated that men should do more of the work in the home. However, today women are still doing most of this work by far, whether they work outside the home or not. Men might be more inclined to share the caring role if that role gained respect and greater recognition.

MOTHERS is advocating for all primary caregivers, regardless of gender. But the reality is that women are doing the vast majority of caring work, and paying most of the cost, in lost wages, economic dependency, lack of a decent social safety net, and lack of respect and influence. Until this is no longer true, this is a woman's issue.

Why is it we always seem to find the money we need for so many things, but when women ask for themselves or their children, the money is never there? And why do we focus on the cost of investing in care, instead of the cost of not investing in care? Research shows that when mothers have resources of time and money, they are more likely than anyone else to invest those resources in children, including children's health and education. This means fewer children who are sick, fewer who drop out of school, fewer who become pregnant, and fewer who get into trouble. Ultimately, rewarding caregivers for their work can save society billions of dollars in expenditures and lead to a healthier, more stable, and productive society.