Orla O’Connor: Budget 2025 can deliver lasting change for women – if Coalition is bold enough

In Budget 2025, the Government must signal a move towards a publicly delivered form of early childhood education and care. Photo posed/Getty

Orla O'Connor

With a general election on the horizon, the next six months will be pivotal for our country, and depending on the choices the outgoing administration makes, it may be potentially pivotal for women.

In Budget 2025, the Government has an opportunity to steer a course towards achieving gender equality. While there have been welcome advances in tackling inequality since the Government’s first Budget in 2020, such as free contraception and a reduction in childcare fees, we are still a long way off where we need to be.