UNITED NATIONS, March 4 (Xinhua) -- The UN Development Programme (UNDP) on Thursday called for a temporary basic income (TBI) for poor women in developing countries to prevent rising poverty and widening gender inequalities during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The large-scale TBI scheme proposed by UNDP in a policy brief shows that a monthly investment of 0.07 percent of developing countries' GDP, or 51 billion U.S. dollars by purchase power parity (PPP), could provide reliable financial security to 613 million working-age women living in poverty, providing them with much-needed income and alleviating the economic pressures they face day-to-day.
Women have been harder hit than men by the pandemic, losing income and leaving the labor market at a greater rate and taking on a greater share of care work. A TBI could provide financial security in the short-term, paving the way for future investments that address systematic gender inequality, says the policy brief, which was released on Thursday, ahead of International Women's Day.
"Governments can take action right now by redirecting just 0.07 percent of their GDP each month directly to women experiencing severe socio-economic stress, because a monthly basic income could ensure survival in these unprecedented times," said UNDP Administrator Achim Steiner in a press release. "The benefits of such a meaningful investment could not only help women and their families absorb the shock of the pandemic, but also empower women to make independent decisions about money, livelihoods and life choices."
Jobs done by women around the world tend to be lower-paid, often lack social protection and safety nets, and are predominately in the sectors shuttered by COVID-19 lockdowns like care work and hospitality. Women have also taken on a greater share of unpaid work, have been increasingly pushed out of the labor force, and have faced a surge of domestic violence with lockdowns forcing them to stay in unsafe homes, says the policy brief.
Beyond supporting women to access their daily needs, a TBI for women specifically may narrow the gap between men and women who live in poverty by providing women with economic independence and balance the control of economic resources within the household, it says.
TBI for women is not a panacea on its own. Schemes like this must accompany transformational change at the institutional level to strengthen protection, said UNDP's Chief Economist George Gray Molina. Enditem
