The Albanese Government has placed women at the centre of the 2026-27 federal budget, committing significant investments to paid parental leave, childcare, domestic violence prevention, women's health, and reforms aimed at improving long-term financial security. The government has framed the package as part of its broader push to make gender equality “a core economic priority”, arguing that women’s workforce participation, financial security, and safety are critical to Australia’s economic future.
From expanding paid parental leave to six months, to new domestic violence protections and continued investment in endometriosis clinics, contraception, and menopause support, the budget builds on the government’s existing women-focused reforms while targeting some of the biggest structural barriers impacting women’s economic participation and wellbeing.
Paid Parental Leave Expands to Six Months
One of the biggest women-focused measures in the budget is the final expansion of the government’s Paid Parental Leave scheme, which will increase to six months for babies born or adopted from July 1, 2026. The government said the expansion is designed to encourage more shared caring responsibilities between parents while helping women remain connected to the workforce and improve long-term financial security.
The budget also continues the government’s childcare reforms, including the 3 Day Guarantee and cheaper childcare measures, which it said has already helped support around 80,000 more children into early education and care, alongside an additional 52,000 educators entering the sector. These measures will be supported by a 15 per cent pay rise for early childhood educators and broader wage increases for aged care and childcare workers, industries where women make up more than 85 per cent of the workforce.
Domestic Violence and Women’s Safety
Women remain overwhelmingly represented in Australia’s child support system, making up 83 per cent of recipient parents, as the government unveils a major new crackdown on perpetrators weaponising the scheme against victim-survivors. Women’s safety remains a major focus throughout the budget, with the government revealing it has now invested more than $4.4 billion under the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children.
One of the key new measures is a $182.6 million package aimed at preventing the Child Support Scheme from being used as a tool for harassment, financial abuse, and coercive control. The reforms will make it easier for parents to move from private child support arrangements into government-managed collection systems, where stronger protections are available. The package also introduces new powers to stop “vexatious or harassing behaviour”, alongside tougher enforcement targeting unpaid child support debts and measures designed to improve income reporting accuracy.
The budget will also continue funding frontline domestic violence services, including an additional $61.2 million for the 500 Workers initiative, which supports specialist frontline staff assisting victim-survivors across the country. The government confirmed more than 35,000 people impacted by family, domestic, and sexual violence have already been supported through the initiative, while more than 10,000 victim-survivors accessed the Leaving Violence Program in its first five months of operation.
Women’s Health Funding Continues
The budget builds on last year’s major women’s health package, with the government continuing its push to improve access to healthcare, cheaper medicines, and specialist support for women at different stages of life. According to the Women’s Budget Statement, 33 specialist endometriosis and pelvic pain clinics are now operating nationally, aimed at improving diagnosis, treatment, and support for conditions that have historically been under-recognised and underfunded.
The government also highlighted expanded access to cheaper contraception and menopause treatments through the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, saying more than 380,000 women have already accessed newly listed contraceptive options, while 430,000 women have used new menopause therapies. A national menopause awareness campaign is also set to launch later this year as part of the broader women’s health push.
“For too long, women’s health policy wasn’t taken seriously. The Government has changed that,” the statement said. The budget also includes continued investment into bulk billing, Medicare Urgent Care Clinics, and mental health supports, with the government saying the measures are designed to improve access to affordable healthcare for women across both metropolitan and regional Australia.
Super and Long-Term Financial Security
The government is also using the budget to push reforms aimed at improving women’s retirement outcomes. The Women’s Budget Statement points to reforms such as paying superannuation on government-funded paid parental leave, increases to the super guarantee, and laws designed to ensure super is paid on payday rather than delayed by employers. The government says the measures are intended to help close the retirement savings gap between men and women, with women historically retiring with significantly lower super balances due to career breaks, part-time work, and unpaid caring responsibilities.
