Women's Empowerment and Gender Equality through Universal Basic Income
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Women's Empowerment through Universal Basic Income advances Gender Equality by providing financial independence for all.
Universal Basic Income (UBI) offers powerful mechanisms for advancing women’s empowerment and gender equality. This article explores how UBI can transform gender relations and contribute to building more peaceful societies.
Recognition of Unpaid Labor
Women globally perform approximately 75% of unpaid care work, representing trillions of dollars in unrecognized economic contribution[1]. UBI explicitly values this invisible labor by:
- Providing financial recognition for essential caregiving that sustains communities
- Breaking the link between market participation and economic dignity
- Acknowledging that care work creates social value deserving compensation
The SEWA-UNICEF pilot in Madhya Pradesh, India demonstrated how basic income allowed women to gain recognition within households as economic contributors, even while performing traditional care roles[2].
Economic Independence and Decision-Making Power
Financial dependency creates vulnerability to exploitation and violence. UBI strengthens women’s position by:
- Creating an independent income stream not controlled by family members
- Reducing economic barriers to leaving abusive relationships
- Enhancing bargaining power for household decisions
Research from the Namibian Basic Income pilot found that women receiving unconditional cash experienced greater decision-making authority regarding household spending and children’s education[3].
Entrepreneurship and Employment Flexibility
UBI supports women’s economic participation through:
- Seed capital for women’s microenterprises without requiring collateral
- Financial cushion for risk-taking in male-dominated fields
- Ability to negotiate better working conditions or refuse exploitative employment
The Finland basic income experiment showed women using the unconditional payments to pursue self-employment opportunities previously considered too financially risky[4].
Educational Advancement
When families have secure income:
- Girls’ education becomes prioritized equally with boys’
- Women can pursue higher education or vocational training
- Intergenerational cycles of female educational disadvantage can be broken
Studies of cash transfer programs in multiple countries show improved school attendance rates for girls when families receive regular financial support[5].
Reproductive Autonomy
Economic security enhances women’s control over reproductive choices:
- Reduced financial pressure to marry early or remain in unhealthy relationships
- Greater agency in family planning decisions
- Resources to support chosen family structures, including single parenthood
Research on cash transfer programs found women gaining greater autonomy in deciding when and whether to have children[6].
Breaking Gender Stereotypes
UBI can challenge traditional gender roles by:
- Enabling men to reduce work hours to participate in caregiving
- Valuing traditionally feminine contributions equally with masculine ones
- Creating space for negotiation of household responsibilities beyond financial necessity
Finland’s basic income trial showed some male recipients increasing time spent with children and on household tasks as economic pressure diminished[7].
Gender-Based Violence Reduction
Economic vulnerability increases women’s exposure to violence. UBI can help by:
- Reducing financial stress that often triggers domestic conflicts
- Providing resources to escape dangerous situations
- Decreasing economic dependence that keeps women in abusive relationships
A World Bank analysis of cash transfer programs found significant reductions in intimate partner violence across multiple interventions[8].
Organizations Focused on Women and UBI
Several organizations specifically focus on the intersection of UBI and women’s empowerment:
- Universal Basic Income and Gender (UBIG): The team’s research aims to provide a conceptual framework for a basic income from a feminist perspective.
fribis.uni-freiburg.de/ubig/ - Women’s Network PEI: We are part of a groundbreaking two-year project, Building a Feminist Coalition for Basic Income Guarantee, funded by Women and Gender Equality Canada.
wnpei.org - Rx Kids: As the nation’s first-ever community-wide prenatal and infant cash prescription program, Rx Kids is providing life-changing financial security that is universal and unconditional.
rxkids.org - Magnolia Mother’s Trust: A guaranteed income program specifically for low-income Black mothers in Jackson, Mississippi, providing $1,000 monthly for 12 months.
springboardto.org/magnolia-mothers-trust - Fund for Humanity: Founded by filmmaker Abigail Disney and partners, this organization focuses on implementing UBI pilots with special attention to women’s empowerment and gender equality.
fundforhumanity.org - Mothers Rising for Guaranteed Basic Income: A transformative initiative launched in April 2024 to empower 100 mothers and their families in South LA who have long been excluded from wealth-building opportunities.
risingcommunities.org/mothers-rising-for-guaranteed-basic-income - Economic Security for Gender Justice: A coalition focused on promoting UBI as a tool for gender equality and women’s economic empowerment.
economicsecurityproject.org/?s=basic+income
UBI Pilots with Gender-Specific Findings
Several UBI and cash transfer programs have produced important findings related to women:
1. SEWA-UNICEF Madhya Pradesh Pilot (India, 2011-2012)
This pilot provided 6,000 individuals in rural India with unconditional monthly payments.
Key gender findings:
Women’s economic participation increased by 16%
Nutrition improved significantly among girls
Women reported greater participation in household decisions[2]
2. Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration (USA, 2019-2021)
This California program gave 125 residents $500 monthly for 24 months.
Key gender findings:
- Women recipients reported improved mental health
- Single mothers showed increased full-time employment
- Increased ability to cover emergency expenses[9]
3. Give Directly’s Kenya Study (2016-Present)
One of the largest and longest UBI experiments covering 21,000 people across 197 villages.
Key gender findings:
- Reduced physical and sexual violence against women by 30%
- Increased decision-making power for women within households
- Women started businesses at higher rates than in control villages[10]
4. Magnolia Mother’s Trust (USA, 2018-Present)
Specifically targets low-income Black mothers in Mississippi with $1,000 monthly payments.
Key gender findings:
- 27% more mothers could pay all bills on time
- 20% increase in mothers having funds for children’s school supplies
- Mothers reporting ability to save money increased from 40% to 88%[11]
Connection to Peace and Social Stability
Economic security through UBI contributes to peaceful conditions by addressing several drivers of gender-based conflict:
- Reducing economic stress: Financial security lowers household tension that can escalate to violence.
- Supporting independence: Women with financial resources can leave dangerous situations, reducing tolerance for abuse.
- Enhancing cooperation: When basic needs are met, household dynamics can shift from competition to cooperation.
UNESCO’s Global Movement for a Culture of Peace identifies gender equality as a core dimension of peaceful societies[12]. UBI creates conditions for gender equality by:
Addressing structural inequalities that perpetuate conflict between genders
Creating conditions where cooperation replaces domination in gender relations
Building gender equity into social institutions rather than treating it as an add-on
By empowering women economically, UBI helps transform gender relations from a source of tension to a foundation for peaceful cooperation—precisely the cultural shift UNESCO’s framework envisions[13].
Looking Forward: Research Needs
While evidence suggests UBI’s positive impact on gender equality, important questions remain:
- Long-term effects: How do gender impacts evolve over extended periods?
- Payment methods: How does individual vs. household payment affect gender outcomes?
- Cultural contexts: How do UBI’s gender effects differ across cultural settings?
- Intersectionality: How do gender benefits interact with race, disability, and other factors?
- Policy integration: How can UBI complement other gender-focused policies?
These questions highlight the need for gender-aware UBI research and implementation. For UBI to reach its full potential as a tool for gender equality, women must be centrally involved in designing and evaluating programs.
Conclusion
Universal Basic Income offers a promising approach to advancing gender equality through economic means. By providing unconditional financial support to everyone, UBI addresses fundamental economic power imbalances that sustain gender inequality.
The evidence from UBI and cash transfer programs consistently shows benefits for women’s empowerment, ranging from increased decision-making power to reduced exposure to violence. These impacts align directly with goals for creating peaceful, equitable societies.
As communities worldwide consider implementing UBI, centering gender equality in program design will maximize its potential to transform not just economic outcomes but social relations themselves. The combined impact of universal economic security with greater gender equality has the potential to create more peaceful, cooperative societies for everyone.
References
- International Labour Organization. (2018). Care Work and Care Jobs for the Future of Decent Work.
ilo.org/global/WCMS_633135 - SEWA Bharat. (2014). A Little More, How Much It Is: Piloting Basic Income Transfers in Madhya Pradesh, India. UNICEF.
sewabharat.org/Report-on-Unconditional-Cash-Transfer-Pilot-Project-in-Madhya-Pradesh.pdf - Basic Income Grant Coalition. (2009). Making the Difference! The BIG in Namibia. Basic Income Grant Pilot Project Assessment Report.
bignam.org/BIG_Assessment_report_08b.pdf - Kangas, O., Jauhiainen, S., Simanainen, M., & Ylikännö, M. (2020). The Finnish Basic Income Experiment 2017–2018: Results. Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Finland.
julkaisut.valtioneuvosto.fi/handle/10024/162219 - Bastagli, F., Hagen-Zanker, J., Harman, L., Barca, V., Sturge, G., & Schmidt, T. (2016). Cash Transfers: What Does the Evidence Say? A Rigorous Review of Programme Impact and of the Role of Design and Implementation Features. Overseas Development Institute.
odi.org/cash-transfers-what-does-the-evidence-say-a-rigorous-review-of-impacts-and-the-role-of-design-and-implementation-features/ - Jones, N., & Presler-Marshall, E. (2019). Cash Transfers for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: An Annotated Bibliography. Gender & Adolescence: Global Evidence.
gage.odi.org/cash-transfers-for-sexual-and-reproductive-health-and-rights-an-annotated-bibliography/ - Koistinen, P., & Perkiö, J. (2020). Finnish Basic Income Experiment and Gender: A Gender Analysis of the Media Discourse on the Finnish Basic Income Experiment. Basic Income Studies, 15(2), 20200024.
- Buller, A. M., Peterman, A., Ranganathan, M., Bleile, A., Hidrobo, M., & Heise, L. (2018). A Mixed-Method Review of Cash Transfers and Intimate Partner Violence in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. The World Bank Research Observer, 33(2), 218-258.
academic.oup.com/wbro/article/33/2/218/5091868 - West, S., Castro Baker, A., Samra, S., & Coltrera, E. (2021). Preliminary Analysis: SEED’s First Year. Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration.
static1.squarespace.com/SEEDs+First+Year_Final+Report_Individual+Pages+-2.pdf - Haushofer, J., Ringdal, C., Shapiro, J. P., & Wang, X. Y. (2019). Income Changes and Intimate Partner Violence: Evidence from Unconditional Cash Transfers in Kenya. NBER Working Paper No. 25627.
nber.org/papers/w25627 - Springboard to Opportunities. (2021). The Magnolia Mother’s Trust: Two Years of Results. springboardto.org/MMT-2.0-Two-Years-of-Results.pdf
- UNESCO. (2015). UNESCO and the Culture of Peace, Programme of Action on a Culture of Peace.
en.unesco.org/themes/building-peace-programmes - UN Women. (2018). Women’s Meaningful Participation in Peace Processes: Modalities and Strategies Across Tracks.
unwomen.org/en/womens-meaningful-participation-in-peace-processes