<strong>Basic income is an increasingly popular idea</strong>
A basic income is an unconditional, tax-financed, government payment provided to every member of society. A basic income has been a prominent policy proposal in the context of uncertainty over the future of work and the problem of growing economic inequality.
The implications of a basic income for women have long been a source of contention among feminists. This discussion, drawn from a recently-published paper that can be accessed here, brings together some of the feminist and human rights debates to consider what a basic income might mean for gender equality.
Fundamental income, feminism, and human rights
A central question emerging from feminist debates is whether a basic income would address the economic and social inequalities that underpin the inadequate realisation of women’s human rights while also shifting gender roles and responsibilities. In all societies, women bear the majority of the burden of caring, which they do largely unpaid. This work has an impact on women’s access to paid work and other economic opportunities, and it contributes to the global gender pay gap.
A gender-sensitive human rights approach suggests that a basic income is likely to help women, who are disproportionately poor and vulnerable in all societies. However, it will not address the complex and structural inequality that they face on its own. A basic income must be accompanied by measures such as child care and support for single parents, as well as changes to the labour market and tax system. It will also need to be large enough to make a significant difference in terms of inequality.
The form of a basic income, its likely impact, and its desirability as a policy solution are dependent on the political and economic conditions of the country in question, and should be subject to democratic debate. Gender-informed human rights principles will help to ensure that any basic income proposal is carefully evaluated within the context of that country in order to advance rather than impede gender equality.
Implementation must take into account existing inequalities.
A basic income in a society where women have less access to paid work and social security than men may advance equality and address gender disadvantage by financially empowering women. Because women are overrepresented among the poor, this is a compelling equality argument for a basic income. However, while the universality of a basic income is appealing in theory, it is indiscriminate in its treatment of all people in society.
A substantive gender equality approach may be better served by designing social protection for society’s most vulnerable members. A basic income, if accompanied by additional payments for groups such as sole parents, could accomplish this. Much depends on the specific design of a basic income and whether it supplements, rather than replaces, necessary social assistance for groups in need.Its gender equality impacts will thus be determined by how the broader social protection system recognises and responds to gender disadvantage in accordance with the human rights framework. A basic income policy that replaces existing social protection measures must not be regressive in terms of eliminating benefits that advance women’s economic security
One component of an interdependent, human-rights-focused system is basic income.
This implies that a substantive gender equality approach could support a basic income if it provided more support to women than is currently available. However, additional social policy measures would be required to address the sexual division of labour at work and at home. These changes are unlikely to result from a basic income in a society where structural inequalities along gender lines are embedded. Other measures, such as state provision, market regulation, or norm realignment, or a combination of these, will be required to spread caring in more gender-equal ways.
The combination of feminist and human rights arguments has the potential to provide a new perspective on the basic income debate. A focus on substantive, redistributive equality challenges minimalism discourses that emerge in discussions of a basic income. It also challenges the basic income human rights debate to ensure that gender and equality are fully considered and incorporated into understandings of a rights-compliant basic income proposal.Human rights draw attention to the needs of a just social protection system and workplace, which can strengthen feminist arguments for new social policies that extend justice to women and challenge gender divisions of care and work.
