Article by Beth Goldblatt. Vol. 3, Issue 1. University of Oxford Human Rights Hub Journal.
November 2, 2020.
Basic income has been a prominent policy proposal from a range of quarters in the context of uncertainty over the future of work and the problem of growing economic inequality. More recently it is being considered in some countries as a possible response to the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. A basic income is an unconditional, tax-financed, government payment provided to every member of society. It has recently been articulated by the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, Philip Alston, as a human rights issue. It has also been the subject of long-standing debate amongst feminists about its likely benefit for women and gender equality. This article explores the intersections between basic income, gender and human rights. It provides some background to the discussion of a basic income within human rights and within feminism before considering how a human rights lens informed by gender might deepen the debate on basic income and contribute to the development of social policies that address gendered poverty and inequality. It also gives some thought to the value of a human rights framing of basic income for the feminist project.
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