Universal basic income (UBI) as a policy measure for supporting economic security has attracted worldwide attention. This book contributes to the discussion by focusing on UBI’s potential impacts for women, including women of colour and First Nations women.
Utilizing a “scenario interviewing” approach, the author worked with 26 diverse Australian women to imagine the potential implications of UBI for their own lives, as well as for women more broadly. The women talked about a range of possible impacts including poverty reduction, economic security, improved autonomy, and freedom from violence, which are sorted into overarching themes and chapters. Integrating these women’s narratives into the key arguments for and against UBI, this book provides a robust and readable introduction to relevant literature.
This book is suitable for a wide audience including scholars and students across the social sciences, as well as policymakers.
By:
Zoe Staines (University of Queensland)
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 216mm,
Width: 138mm,
Weight: 410g
ISBN: 9781032957876
ISBN 10: 1032957875
Pages: 128
Publication Date: 25 June 2025
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
Acknowledgements Chapter 1: Introduction What is known about a UBI for women? UBI for women: Australia as a case study Aims and approach of this book Chapter 2: Putting UBI into context Setting the scene: the Australian context Australian social assistance: shifting sands Australia and a UBI: A missed opportunity in 1975? Conclusion Chapter 3: Women’s economic (in)security An Australian UBI and women’s overall economic security UBI and caregiving UBI and unpaid care UBI and commodified care Improving paid work Supplementing shrinking and harmful social security nets Increasing material support Conclusion Chapter 4: Violence against women Escaping domestic & family violence Escaping insecure and unsafe housing Conclusion Chapter 5: Women’s health UBI, resource scarcity, and health behaviours UBI and people with disability UBI and chronic stress UBI and avoiding social security stigma Conclusion Chapter 6: Looking to the future Getting the wider policy & program architecture right for Australian women Reassessing Australia’s couple rule Improving access to escaping violence payments Improving access to commodified care options Amending existing Australian social security (Re)prioritising collective bargaining Concluding remarks References Appendices Appendix 1 – Detailed summary of research methodology Appendix 2 – Australian social expenditure (a) Appendix 3 – Australian social expenditure (b) Appendix 4 – Proportion of female employees by industry type Appendix 5 – Remuneration by sex across female-dominated, male-dominated, and mixed industries
Zoe Staines is a senior lecturer and researcher at The University of Queensland, School of Social Science. Her research and qualifications, including PhD, span social policy, gender and work, critical criminology, and intersectionality. Her professional experiences extend across academia, government, and the non-profit sector.
