An important international trend in welfare state change is the emphasis on activation, meaning participation in paid employment. What are the implications of this for women’s citizenship? The article selects three countries with a tradition for recognising caring work, labeled “needs-based” welfare states (Norway, Australia, and New Zealand), and looks at 1990s developments in policies toward lone mothers. Two dimensions are emphasized: the recognition of lone mothers’ caring obligations, and the mothers’ right to pursue autonomous life projects. The article concludes that activation policies for lone mothers in these countries have been implemented in a way sensitive to their caring obligations but that problematic issues arise over the issues of autonomy and limits to state intervention.
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