The centrepiece of women’s policy in this Budget is reform to the Child Support Scheme. The government has recognised their responsibility in stopping the known weaponisation of the scheme to perpetrate economic abuse. The injection of $182.6 million to support significant policy change in this space will be a welcome change for single parents, protecting them from family and domestic violence and strengthening women’s financial security.

First Nations women continue to face markedly worse outcomes in family and domestic violence. This year’s Budget reflected the need for targeted support to address this – funding the first ever standalone strategy to end violence against First Nations women and children. Called Our Ways – Strong Ways – Our Voices, this ten-year strategy is backed by $218.3 million in new funding and will prioritise community-led solutions.

Feel like there’s been a lot of conversation about the manosphere this year? The Budget reflects this too, with an extension of existing funding to support men who use violence or are at risk of using violence. Designed to encourage men to take accountability and drive real behaviour change, this includes ongoing funding of the Healthy MaTE program which encourages healthy expressions of masculinity among school-aged boys and young men.

The Australian Defence Force has faced scrutiny over its lack of accountability or action on damning reports on the treatment of its women soldiers and veterans. This year’s Budget has gone a way to make reparations for this – funding a $16.6 million independent inquiry into military sexual violence.

Women’s health once again took centre stage at this Budget, with the government showcasing a range of initiatives designed to support women’s access to affirmative healthcare. This included commitment to improved choice and access to long-acting reversible contraceptives, the first new contraceptive pills listed on the PBS in over 30 years, and a new subsidised cervical cancer treatment. It didn’t stop there – funding for endometriosis was continued and a new Ministerial Expert Panel on women’s health has been established.

Major changes slated for the tax system lead the charge on reform in this year’s Budget. With historic alterations to the Capital Gains Tax discount, negative gearing and tax on discretionary trusts, the government is hoping to support home ownership and address intergenerational inequality. They’re also planning to provide cost of living relief to working Australians – including women – through annual tax cuts of up to $250, increasing the tax-free threshold to almost $25,000.

Housing was a focus of this Budget in another way too – through the $59.4 million pledged to help young people access community housing. This is a gender issue, too, with young women and girls representing two-thirds of the clients seen by Specialist Homelessness Services. Often the victims of gender-based violence, these women will receive support to supplement rental income.

Families continue to be a priority for the government, with the final stages of the Paid Parental Leave expansion formalised. This takes the scheme to six months of leave for babies born or adopted from 1 July 2026. And while the scheme is for families, it also represents an important step to valuing care work and removing structural barriers to women’s labour force participation.

Health features once again, beyond just the funding for women-only initiatives. Medicare Urgent Care Clinics are being made a permanent feature of the health system – news which will be celebrated by any of us who’ve dashed to the clinic with a child’s sprained wrist or mysterious fever. Changes have also been made to the Medicare levy, helping make healthcare more affordable and accessible across the board.

Long-awaited changes to the skills assessment system finally feature in this year’s Budget – with an $85.2 million commitment to accelerate this process for migrant trade workers. The government is coupling this with the piloting of new processes around occupational licensing in the hope of reducing the time it takes to enter the workforce by up to six months. With the publication of the recent Activate Her Skills report acknowledging the 341,000 migrant women working below their skill level in Australia, this is welcome news.