Coalition tries to woo women with a federal budget that’s all about making amends

After a year in which the Morrison government’s commitment to tackling violence against women and sexual harrassment has been questioned, and it has been accused of targeting Covid assistance to industries dominated by men, Josh Frydenberg’s budget is unashamedly about making amends.

It includes a $1.7bn investment in childcare, more money for preschools, funding to build skills in industries dominated by women and changes to superannuation that will help people working part time – mostly women.

In the wake of Brittany Higgins’s allegations that she was raped in Parliament House by a male colleague, and that she then felt pressured not to make a formal complaint, support for Scott Morrison personally took a hammering.

The Guardian Essential poll found only 46% of women approved of his performance in March, down from 65% back in February.

The latest Essential poll released on the eve of the budget shows the government has won back some female voters. It will hope that the 2021-22 budget will convince women it is listening to their concerns.

This year’s budget papers include a separate budget women’s statement, a tactic it has used in the past to elevate a particular theme.

“Preventing and addressing workplace sexual harassment is central to advancing both women’s safety and economic security and is a priority for our government,” the statement begins. “Increasing women’s workforce participation is an economic and social imperative.”

The statement acknowledges that female-dominated industries were more affected by health restrictions during the Covid shutdowns. While women made up 55% of the workforce, they accounted for 63% of jobs lost. The statement also acknowledges that women bore the brunt of school closures and this affected their ability to return to work.

As expected, the government has stopped short of returning to offering free childcare as it did during the height of the pandemic, but it has attempted to address the disincentives for women to return to full-time work, especially when they have two or more childcare-aged children.

From July 2022 the government is increasing subsidy payments for families with two or more children, up to a maximum of 95%, depending on income. The annual cap on childcare subsidy payments will be removed for all families, making it easier for women to work full time if they choose.

The government says 250,000 families will be better off by an average of $2,200 a year.

The changes will also help the Coalition compete in this crucial policy space with Labor in the next election.

The budget also includes $20.5m for the implementation of the Respect@Work inquiry report conducted by the sex discrimination commissioner, Kate Jenkins. The government accepted most of the report’s 55 recommendations in March, more than a year after it was commissioned.

After several high-profile attacks on women, including that on Hannah Clarke, who died with her children when her ex-partner set fire to their car, the budget increases funding for frontline services, legal representation for women and for programs designed to address violence against women.

But whether it will be deemed sufficient to meet demand for services and the failures of the legal system remains to be seen.

“One in four women experience violence from a current or former partner,” the treasurer, Josh Frydenberg, said in his budget speech.

“This must stop. We must do more to end all forms of violence against women and children.”

The government has announced a further $1.1bn to be invested in women’s safety, including more emergency accommodation, legal assistance counselling and emergency assistance.

The package includes a new two-year national partnership agreement in which the federal government will provide up to $261.4m to partner with states and territories – they will be asked to contribute – to boost local frontline services and trial new initiatives during the transition to the next national plan.

The government will commit $164.8m over three years to establish escaping violence payments that will provide up to $1,500 in immediate cash and a further $3,500 in kind for goods or direct payments of bonds, school fees or other items. The payments will be provided under a two-year trial.

There will also be an additional $12.6m going to support accommodation for women and children experiencing family and domestic violence, and $35.1m for violence prevention campaigns.

The government will not proceed with a measure to extend the early release of superannuation to victims of family and domestic violence.

The 2021-22 budget includes measures to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, women with disability, and culturally and linguistically diverse women.

An additional $26m will be provided to Family Violence Prevention Legal Services to improve support services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. Funding will be directed to improving the quality, capability and cultural safety of Indigenous and non-Indigenous family violence services.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics will be given $31.6m over five years to measure the prevalence of family, domestic and sexual violence experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls, which is higher than that experience by other women.

A further $29.3m will be spent to improve migrant and refugee women’s safety through early intervention, grassroots programs, and social and economic inclusion support.

An additional $10.3m will be spent over two years to extend the pilot program supporting women on temporary visas experiencing family violence, who often cannot access services because of their visa status.

A further $4.9m will also be invested in expanding support for men at risk of using violence and trialling new perpetrator interventions.

Funding for women’s legal centres will also be increased by $129m and children’s contact services will get an extra $101.4m. There are also additional funds for the family law division of the federal court to improve administration.

After being criticised for focusing its Covid-19 assistance on industries dominated by men – the construction industry was propped up with homebuilder and trades received apprentice subsidies – industries dominated by women are targeted in this budget.

As well as a substantial package to boost the aged care workforce, the government has allocated an additional $12.2m for the national careers institute partnership grants program for projects that provide more career opportunities and supported career pathways for women.

It will also invest $42.4m over seven years to support more than 230 women to pursue higher level science, technology, engineering and mathematics qualifications.

The government will also pour $148m into women’s health, with new funds for breast cancer treatments, endometriosis and genetic testing of embryos. These measures were announced before the budget.