A UBI doesn’t shift structural inequalities or transform the patriarchal capitalist state – creates a drop in women’s bargaining power and loss of social capital which turns case
Brian McDonough & Jessie Bustillos Morales 19 (Brian McDonough is a Family Physician with a focus on patient education. In addition to providing clinical care he employs audio, video and digital technology to provide helpful information for the general public. Jessie Bustillos Morales is a lecturer in education studies at London Metropolitan University; “Universal Basic Income” Chapter 5, 2019)AC
Feminists scholars (McKay, 2005; McLean, 2016; Zelleke, 2011) who are in support of an income maintenance fund, such as universal basic income, have proposed how this regular payment will contribute to women’s autonomy, increase their economic power and independence, as well as re-balance many of the gender inequalities that continue to exist in society. Other feminist scholars (Robeyns, 2010; Gheaus, 2008) are less enthusiastic about the idea of a universal basic income and suggest that it will not help diminish the gendered division of labour, or reduce the gender pay gap, nor increase the participation of women in employment markets. For example, Gheaus (2008: 3) argues that ‘should a BI be introduced, it would be reasonable to expect an overall drop in female labour … differing income effects for different groups of women … and a drop in women’s bargaining power within the household, decreased selfesteem and loss of social capital’. In other words, Gheaus suggests that women may be more likely to give up full-time careers in the world of work, knowing that there’s a sustainable means in which they can base themselves at home, overseeing caring and domestic responsibilities. Feminist views on universal basic income although varied, recognize that a universal basic income will have important effects on poverty, but might not contribute substantially to shift structural inequalities around gender. While many women may benefit from such a policy reform, it is not clear whether or not a universal basic income has the potential to really ‘transform the patriarchal capitalist state’ (O’Brien, 2017: 100). Drawing on feminist arguments for and against a universal basic income, this chapter examines the lives of women from an intersectional perspective to understand the multilayered social influences and constraints which women with diverse identities experience.