The NERI seminar titled 'European Attitudes to Basic Income: exploring women's perspectives' was presented by Dr. Micheál Collins, Assistant Professor of Social Policy, and Head of Social Policy at University College Dublin. The paper he presents on was co-written with Ms Olga Li, UCD. The seminar took place on Wednesday 11 November, 2026 at 15:30 as an online Zoom event.
Presentation and video to follow.
Lecture Format:
Dr. Micheál Collins, UCD made his presentation. Subsequently, there was a Q&A where the chairperson, Dr. Lisa Wilson, NERI presented questions from attendees to Micheál.
Abstract:
While pre-2000s scholarship generally portrayed Universal Basic Income (UBI) as advantageous for women, post-2000s analyses have introduced a more nuanced perspective, emphasising potential adverse effects on gender roles and domestic lifestyles. This
divergence in scholarly views has led to conflicting opinions among women, both in favour of and opposed to UBI. Empirical investigations into gender-based attitudes toward UBI have yielded inconclusive results, prompting a call for more nuanced examinations.
This study posits that micro and macro-level determinants may influence women's attitudes, with support for UBI potentially stronger among women with lower socioeconomic status in economically underdeveloped nations lacking robust welfare provisions. In theory, individuals in affluent positions may perceive UBI as a mechanism imposing a disproportionate financial burden, particularly through increased taxation on the economically prosperous. The concern lies in the potential trade-off between UBI and existing social benefits for women, such as maternity leave and childcare systems. We examine women’s level of support for introducing UBI in 22 European countries using data from the European Social Survey Round 8 which contains a Welfare attitudes module with socioeconomic status measured by education, employment status, household income, and the perception of household income. At the macro-level, we control for economic development and the country’s welfare system. Offering a multifaceted perspective on women’s attitudes towards UBI, the study contributes to the ongoing debate in academic and policymaking about the support of UBI in Europe.
Speakers details:
Dr. Micheál Collins is an economist, Assistant Professor of Social Policy, and Head of Social Policy at University College Dublin. His research interests and publications are in the areas of income distribution and poverty, taxation, fiscal welfare, pensions, economic evaluation and public policy.
He was a member of Ireland’s Commission on Taxation (2008-2009) and the Irish Government’s Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare (2011-2014). He served as the external member of the Irish Government’s interdepartmental group examining the reform of Ireland’s income tax and social insurance system (2017-18). He is a former member of Ireland’s National Competitiveness and Productivity Council (2015-2021) and a former chair of the Irish Social Policy Association (ISPA) and the Regional Studies Association (RSA) of Ireland. He is currently a national coordinator of the European Social Survey (ESS) for Ireland and a board member and fellow of the Geary Institute for Public Policy at UCD.