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Explore the concept of Universal Basic Income (UBI) and its potential impact on gender equality and societal systems of resource distribution. Analyze both pro-UBI and UBI-critical feminist perspectives to understand the complexities of this economic model.
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EQUAL PENSION RIGHTS FOR WOMEN NOW!EWL Perspective Naareen gender inclusieveeconomieUniversal Basic IncomeProgression or regression? FEMtalks NVR De Den Haag 7 May 2018
Why a European Women’s Lobby? • No real equality between women and men • Discrepancies of legislation and reality • Need for women’s organisations to ally, share information, develop common action • Need to support all women in their diversity • Women’s voice and advocacy at European level • Together, we can make a change!
Challenges and threats • The myth of “equality being already there” dilution: “diversity/equality”. • EU policies don’t transform into change, because of a lack of political will. • Recent climate of austerity women’s rights are “the icing on the cake”. • Financial cuts are threatening the very existence of women’s organisations and other anti-discrimination organisations. • Attacks of ultra-conservative, anti-feminist and religious groups, use religion, tradition or culture to legitimate violations of women’s rights
Challenges and threats • Recent national elections brought more populist and misogynist decision-makers, directly threatening policies for women’s rights & minorities • Some governments increase controls on NGOs and citizens EU policies don’t transform into change, because of a lack of political will. • Stereotypes are still prevalent in all spheres of society
Positive developments & opportunities • Women and girls in Europe are now present in all spheres of society: in education and employment, in political and business decision-making, expressing their views as artists, journalists, researchers, or community leaders. • A new generation of young feminists is mobilising widely. • Some men are engaging in the feminist movement, to support women’s organisations’ demands. • Feminist economists are challenging the current system we live in, by proposing new ways of measuring wellbeing and protecting our planet and the next generations.
Universal Basic IncomeWhat is it? “Unconditional income paid by a government to each citizen or permanent resident from the cradle to the grave, its level only varying according to age” (Julieta Magdalena Elgarte Universidad Nacional de la Plata (Argentina - UCL, Belgium)
Universal Basic Income Main characteristics • Universality* • Individuality • Unconditionality • Cash benefit • Contingent on immigration status
Universal Basic IncomeWhy is it discussed today? • Changing nature of work (‘liquid’ labour-market) • Pressure on social security/welfare states • Future of work (enough for all?) Hot topic within think-tank's and political spaces, but without a gender perspective!
A pro-UBI feminist analysis • Allows for a reallocation and deprioritisation of paid work in households • More part-time work done by men and women, with increased monetary benefits • An increase in men’s propensity to care • Revaluation of unpaid care and reproductive labour
A pro-UBI feminist analysis • Increased economic autonomy/economic parity means to escape from abusive/violent relationships and reduction in gender-based violence • Solve present unemployment and poverty traps embedded in the welfare system, that overall favours women’s dependence on a husband/partner/state • Absence of negative public control over the private life of the recipients
A UBI-critical feminist analysis • Unconditional cash payments will lead to women’s specialisation in domestic care activities Drop in female labour market participation and relegation to the private sphere • Men will use increased time at their disposal for leisure activities rather than for care work (2017 EIGE gender index confirms this: gender timegap)
A UBI-critical feminist analysis • Universal nature Link lost between social security rights in IHL and consensus to prioritise specific groups and moments of need • Feasibility Would require dismantling of the current welfare state, in a way likely to be gender-blind • Increase rather than decrease poverty • The cost factor – nobody seems to be calculating this
Cost illustration • Current UK social security bill (excluding pensions): £149bn • Cost of providing minimum wage to all adults between 16 and 64: £543bn • Total expenditure of UK Government: £638bn
Cost simulation illustration • Calculations for Belgium: UI @ 1000€ for adults – cost 100 billion € = 25% GDP • Raise Minimum Income to 60% poverty threshold – cost 1.24 billion€ = 1.4% GDP
Where the debate is • Overstatement of conclusions we can draw from small number of pilots – none of which has truly been of UBI • Dominated by neoliberal-litethinktanks and a small number of academics • Some buy-in from wider civil-society organisations and anti-poverty organisations • Largely gender-blind discourse and failure to recognise feminist economics thinking
What should we do? • Working with feminist economists and feminist advocates to develop a set of principles for a feminist UBI • Engaging with national and regional pilots and projects to explore and test UBI principles
Universal Basic IncomeExperiences of some countriesUSA: 1970-1980Utrecht Netherlands: 2017Finland: 2017-2018
FinlandBASIC INCOME EXPERIMENT 2017-2018https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xPAlEkT0kk&feature=youtu.be Goal: To obtain information on the effects of basic income on the employment of persons participating in the experiment, and to survey other impacts of basic income (e.g. how to reform the social security system & reduce incentive traps related to working). Level of basic income: EUR 560 per month, tax free benefit. According to calculations, this should produce an adequate incentive effect encouraging people to accept temporary and part-time work. Target group: Persons between 25 and 58 years of age living in Finland who in November 2016 receive basic daily allowance or labour market support under the Unemployment Security Act. Sample: Representative random sample of 2,000 persons covers the whole country. It is mandatory to participate in the experiment. The rest of the target group forms a control group. Mandatory participation enables a more reliable follow-up and assessment of the results.
BASIC INCOME DISCUSSION IN FINLAND Questions & possible gender impacts: - An incentive trap for women to stay at home and take care of children, elderly parents or partners etc. instead of working & making career? And as a result having smaller pensions? - Or does it help e.g. mothers to keep up with their skills as they can receive a part-time or temporary job without losing the unemployment or other benefits as a result. -If women are able to better combine work, entrepreneurship and social security, basic income may be an efficient tool to strengthen women´s economic independence (cf. earlier experiments in developing world: India, Kenya) It may also help them to continue with unfinished or to do continuation studies. - Leads to marginalization of young people? - Helps to diminish economic stress in difficult labour market positions.
Basic income: a new kid in town? • ‘(not so) New’ idea, gaining momentum: tested in Canada, USA, Namibia, experiments on micro scale in FI, NL, proposal Hamon presidential elections FR, referendum CH rejected • “A periodical cash payment unconditionally delivered to all on an individual basis, without means-testing or work requirements” • Cost partially covered by partial replacement of social security and/or increased VAT or direct taxation • Universal: replace complex welfare systems, no selection criteria, same payment for all, rich and poor – but is this fair? Quid progressive universalism? • Unconditional: no obligation to work in return, sometimes presented as solution for declining job opportunities, no pressure to accept poor quality jobs – but risk of less qualified people left behind? Especially women risk to withdraw from LM • Affordable? Calculations for BE – 1000€ for adults – cost 100 billion € = 25% GDP - Compared to raise all MI to 60% AROP: 1.24 billion€ = 1.4% GDP • Common challenges: right to decent income, less conditionality, red tape and bureaucracy, stigma and shame
Basic income as a policy option: can it add up? OECD policy brief May 2017
