Securing Women's Economic Security, Safety, and Freedom
The Role of Universal Basic Income in Australia
1st Edition
Published on 25. June 2025
Book
Hardback
128 pages
978-1-032-95787-6 (ISBN)
Description
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.
The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.
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.
The Open Access version of this book, available at www.taylorfrancis.com, has been made available under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives (CC-BY-NC-ND) 4.0 license.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Postgraduate
Illustrations
4 s/w Abbildungen, 4 s/w Zeichnungen, 3 s/w Tabellen
3 Tables, black and white; 4 Line drawings, black and white; 4 Illustrations, black and white
Dimensions
Height: 222 mm
Width: 145 mm
Thickness: 11 mm
Weight
314 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-032-95787-6 (9781032957876)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Zoe Staines
Securing Women's Economic Security, Safety, and Freedom
The Role of Universal Basic Income in Australia
E-Book
06/2025
Routledge
€0.00
Available for download
Zoe Staines
Securing Women's Economic Security, Safety, and Freedom
The Role of Universal Basic Income in Australia
E-Book
06/2025
Routledge
€0.00
Available for download
Person
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.
Content
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
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