Advertisement Womenâs safety and economic security is a key theme of Josh Frydenbergâs third budget. But how much will it move the dial on gender equality? To begin answering that question The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age conducted a rapid gender audit of the budget. Time constraints mean this is a brief assessment â there will be more comprehensive gender-based evaluations of the budget in the coming days and weeks. It is important to view the governmentâs âfemale-friendlyâ initiatives in the context of the whole budget. The big picture Last yearâs budget copped criticism for being too âblokeyâ because coronavirus stimulus spending largely overlooked industries with a high share of female workers. The structure of income tax cuts announced in the 2020 budget also drew fire for disproportionately favouring men.