The latest report from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), titled “Protecting Women’s Livelihoods in Times of Pandemic: Temporary Basic Income and the Road to Gender Equality,” suggests a Temporary Basic Income (TBI) for impoverished women residing in developing countries. An announcement made ahead of International Women’s Day (8th March) celebrations puts forth this proposal.
Highlighting the Gender Inequality and Unpaid Labor Imbalances
On an average, women spend 2.4 more hours per day on unpaid care and domestic duties compared to men. When it comes to individuals working in the paid economy, women typically devote four additional hours daily compared to men on both paid and unpaid work included.
Persistent Discriminative Policies Add to Economic Vulnerability
Various economic vulnerabilities imposed on women are not only due to complex gender norms but also originate from policy and political decisions. Consistently, women are deprived of compensation in terms of equal pay, paid maternity leave, access to universal health, and unemployment and care benefits.
The Impact of Covid-19 on Women
The pandemic has disproportionately affected women, as they suffered significant income loss and exited the labor market at a higher rate than men. This vulnerability is attributed to gender inequality, making women 25% more likely to live in extreme poverty than men.
Proposing Temporary Basic Income to Alleviate Economic Pressures
The UNDP report proposes a TBI for millions of the world’s poorest women. A monthly investment of 0.07-0.31% of a developing country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) could provide stable financial security to 613 million working-aged women living in poverty.
Advocating Policies Favoring Women
The report pushes for policies acknowledging the needs of all workers – men and women – to balance their household responsibilities with paid work. The proposed measures include guaranteed paid maternity leave, extended paternity leave, and enforcement of its utilization.
Revising Labour Market to Address Gender Pay Gap
In addition to balancing paid work with family duties, governments are encouraged to tackle other sources of gender pay gap. An effective response includes anti-discrimination laws and affirmative action initiatives.
Addressing Inequality: What Other Countries Are Doing
Countries like the Philippines, Mexico, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bolivia, Cape Verde, North Macedonia, and Trinidad and Tobago have introduced various measures in recent years to boost gender equality.
The Indian Approach to Promote Gender Equality
India has taken several steps to promote gender equality, including the establishment of a separate ministry for Women & Child Development in 2006. The Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act of 2017 allows pregnant women to take a total of 26 weeks leave, with the option to claim up to 8 weeks before delivery.
Protecting Women from Workplace Harassment
The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act of 2013 covers all women, regardless of their age or employment status, and protects them from sexual harassment at all workplaces, both public and private sectors.
New Codes in Support of Women Workers
The Social Security Code, Code on Occupational Safety, Health & Working Conditions Code, and Industrial Relations Code brought in 2020 mandate that women must be allowed to work in every sector at night, provided their security is ensured by the employer and consent is taken before they work at night.
