A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Basic Income and the Status of Women in an Established Gender-Equal Welfare State: Results from the Finnish Basic Income Experiment
Authors: Kangas Olli, Ylikännö Minna
Publisher: MDPI
Publication year: 2023
Journal: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Journal name in source: International journal of environmental research and public health
Journal acronym: Int J Environ Res Public Health
Article number: 1733
Volume: 20
Issue: 3
ISSN: 1660-4601
eISSN: 1660-4601
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20031733
Web address : https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/3/1733
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/179086121
Debates on the gendered effects of universal basic income (UBI) tend to bifurcate into two opposing views. On the one hand, UBI is seen as a strong incentive for women to stay at home and be permanently locked into their care responsibilities. On the other hand, UBI is seen as a tool for empowerment, increasing women's autonomy, fortifying their capacity to act, and guaranteeing their individual income and income security. This paper contributes to these debates by asking if UBI enhances women's empowerment or not. Using the survey data compiled in the context of the Finnish basic income experiment (2017-2018), we compare survey responses from the UBI treatment group (n = 586) and the control group (n = 1047). Our results based on χ2 statistics and regression analyses show that, while UBI did not affect employment, it was positively associated with individual capacities and confidence in various aspects of life. However, these empowering effects were universal and did not differ between women and men. Our results indicate that UBI is not a gender equality-related issue in established gender-equal Nordic welfare states. On the basis of our findings, we also argue that the previous academic discussion on UBI and on results from various experiments is too universalising. It does not pay sufficient attention to the national social policy contexts where experiments have been carried out.
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