What differences do welfare state variations make for women? How do women and men fare in different welfare states? Diane Sainsbury answers these questions by analyzing the United States, Britain, Sweden and The Netherlands, whose welfare policies differ in significant ways. Building on feminist research, she determines the extent to which legislation reflects and perpetuates the gendered division of labor in the family and society, as well as what types of policy alter gender relations in social provision. She offers constructive proposals for securing greater equality between women and men.