Welfare states and women’s autonomy: a thought experiment
Sheila Shaver and Sharon Burke
University of Western Sydney and Social Policy Research Centre
Contact Email:   Sharon.Burkekids.nsw.gov.au

What types and combinations of social policy measure do most to promote women’s economic autonomy, in the sense of economic independence of the state and welfare, labour market vulnerability, and unwilling reliance on spouse and family? The research takes the form of a thought experiment in which we ask what women’s economic circumstances would be if they lived, together with any dependent children, independently of their partner. In this experiment, we compare the capacities of the policy arrangements prevailing in five countries with different frameworks of social and employment policy to enable women to enjoy an adequate standard of living independently of their partners. We seek to answer questions such as what proportions of women enjoy economic autonomy in each of the countries included in the research, and how do the countries compare in this regard? Which groups of women, in respect of parental status and educational level, most commonly enjoy economic independence? What are the respective roles of employment and welfare state transfers in facilitating women’s economic independence? The analysis is based on data from the Luxembourg Income study for five countries: the United States, Australia, Germany, France and Sweden.

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