Ailsa McKay facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Professor
Ailsa McKay
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| Born | 7 June 1963 |
| Died | 5 March 2014 (aged 50) |
| Nationality | Scottish |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Professor of economics |
| Employer | Glasgow Caledonian University |
| Known for | Research on gender inequalities and the economics of the welfare state, feminist economics and universal basic income |
Ailsa McKay (born 7 June 1963 – died 5 March 2014) was an important Scottish economist. She was a professor of economics at Glasgow Caledonian University.
Ailsa McKay was known for her work on how money and society affect men and women differently. This is called gender equality and the economics of the welfare state (which is about how the government helps its citizens). She also helped create the idea of a universal basic income, where everyone gets a regular payment from the government. She was also an expert on gender budgeting, which means making sure government spending helps both men and women fairly.
She was a key advisor to the Scottish government and its leader, Alex Salmond, on money and welfare policies. Both Alex Salmond and his successor, Nicola Sturgeon, said that Ailsa McKay greatly influenced policies that helped women in Scotland.
She was part of the Jimmy Reid Foundation, a group that studies social issues. She also advised the United Nations. Ailsa McKay co-edited a book called Counting on Marilyn Waring: New Advances in Feminist Economics. This book was published just a few days before she passed away. To honor her, there is a special award called the Ailsa McKay Lecture, and a house at Lenzie Academy is named after her.
Contents
Education
Ailsa McKay studied at the University of Stirling, where she earned a top degree. She then got her PhD from the University of Nottingham.
Her Work and Career
Ailsa McKay started working at Glasgow Caledonian University in 1991 as an economics lecturer. Later, she became the head of the economics department. In 2011, she became a Professor of Economics.
Her research looked at how money and society affect men and women differently. She advised important groups like the Scottish Parliament, the Irish Government, and the United Nations Development Programme. She was a top expert in the United Kingdom on how government budgets affect different genders. She also wrote comments for The Herald newspaper about business.
Her 2005 book, The Future of Social Security Policy, looked at how social security (government help for people) could be improved to be fairer for everyone, especially women.
Ailsa McKay helped start the Scottish Women's Budget Group and the European Gender Budget Network. She was also the chairperson of the European chapter of the International Association for Feminist Economics (IAFFE).
She supported Scottish independence and the idea of a universal basic income.
Universal Basic Income
Ailsa McKay was an early supporter of the universal basic income idea. She believed it could help create a fairer society for everyone, especially women. In 2001, she said that changes to social policy should consider all ways that men and women are treated differently, not just in jobs. She thought that a universal basic income could help make sure everyone has equal rights as citizens.
Counting on Marilyn Waring: New Advances in Feminist Economics
Her last major academic work was the book Counting on Marilyn Waring: New Advances in Feminist Economics. This book explores new ideas in feminist economics. It was printed just days before she died. In the book, Ailsa McKay and her co-editor, Margunn Bjørnholt, suggested that we need to change how we think about the economy. They believed that economic ideas should include caring for each other and for the planet.
Many experts praised the book. Professor Alison Preston said it was a "timely reminder" of how we value different activities and outputs. Another commentator, Maria Reinertsen, compared it to Thomas Piketty's famous book, Capital in the Twenty-First Century. She said that while Piketty's book focused on the rich, McKay's book looked at many more important topics for economists. The book was also mentioned in Melinda Gates' 2019 book, The Moment of Lift.
Death and Legacy
Ailsa McKay passed away at age 50 on March 5, 2014, after battling cancer for a year.
Alex Salmond, who was Scotland's First Minister, praised her "astonishing contribution" to helping women get into work. He also said she was the main person who pushed for better childcare, which would make it possible for more women to work. Nicola Sturgeon, who later became First Minister, called her an "inspirational economist and feminist."
Pamela Gillies, the head of Glasgow Caledonian University, said that Scotland lost an important person who worked for good. She also said that a scholarship started in Ailsa McKay's name would inspire future students to work for social change.
Margunn Bjørnholt and Marilyn Waring wrote that Ailsa McKay made a great contribution to feminist economics and to Scottish society. They said she showed that economics and politics are connected. She always campaigned to include gender in economic studies and for better welfare, free childcare, and a universal basic income.
In January 2015, a conference was held to honor Ailsa McKay's work. Many academics and politicians attended. Alex Salmond said he regretted not putting her policies into action sooner.
Ailsa McKay is seen as a key thinker in the campaign for Scottish independence. Alex Salmond mentioned her in his 2015 book, The Dream Shall Never Die.
Personal Life
Ailsa McKay was married to Jim Campbell, who was also an economist. They had two children, Rory (born 1999) and Annie (born 2001).
Ailsa McKay Lecture
The Ailsa McKay Lecture is a very important award in feminist economics. Famous speakers who have given this lecture include:
- 2016: Nancy Folbre
- 2017: Philippe Van Parijs
- 2018: Stephanie Seguino
- 2019: Rhonda Sharp
- 2021: James Heintz
See also
- Feminist economics
- List of feminist economists
- Universal basic income in the United Kingdom
Literature
- Jim Campbell and Morag Gillespie (eds.), Feminist Economics and Public Policy: Reflections on the work and impact of Ailsa McKay, Routledge, 2016
