Fair Agenda's Budget Submission focuses on:

1. Removing barriers to women’s economic security

Currently, women contribute an estimated $77.9 billion in unpaid care work annually - work that effectively subsidises government expenditure but remains unaccounted for in fiscal policy. This unpaid contribution comes at a significant personal cost, with women losing on average $500,000 in lifetime earnings.

Unpaid and unrecognised care work continues to drive women’s economic disadvantage, pushing many into poverty in older age, particularly those without secure housing.

We urge the Government to put women’s economic security at the centre of the 2026–27 Federal Budget. The policy levers available to the government to advance gender equity through economic policy reform are extensive - and now is the time for bold action.

Fair Agenda proposes a suite of evidence-based reforms that would meaningfully reduce gendered economic inequality. These include delinking Family Tax Benefit payments from the Maintenance Income Test, and paying superannuation on Carers Payments to support those who have taken significant time out of the paid workforce to provide care. These measures would not only recognise and value women’s unpaid contributions to Australia’s economy, but would also strengthen women’s long-term economic independence - a critical factor in reducing violence against women.

These measures could be funded by improving the tax rules that currently provide a discount on Capital Gains Tax contributions to those selling investment properties; and reforming the current approach to negative gearing - both policies which contribute to perpetuating wealth and housing inequality, and keep vital revenue from public services.

2. Improving responses to sexual violence and support for victim-survivors

From the point of disclosure, to navigating legal systems, and recovery - a victim-survivor’s timely access to appropriate and specialist support can make a significant difference. But right now the supports available and accessible to victim-survivors are vastly inadequate, and delays to access are compounding harm.

This submission focuses on three key areas for intervention in this budget:

1. Enabling timely access to specialist healing support for survivors of sexual violence
2. Supporting victim-survivors navigating the criminal legal system
3. Addressing barriers to timely access to forensic medical exams and care

Currently, many victim-survivors of sexual assault are spending months on waiting lists to access sexual violence counselling services. Timely access to these services is critical to support their healing and recovery, and can reduce or prevent long-term harm.

Victim-survivors who seek justice through the criminal legal system face significant risks to their privacy, mental health, and well-being. Yet most are forced to navigate this system without independent legal assistance tailored to their needs or interests. As a result, they have little control over decisions that affect them, and may cause them further harm.

Access to timely forensic medical examinations is essential for victim-survivors of sexual violence, yet many across Australia face long delays or must travel vast distances to receive care. In regional areas, survivors may wait hours or travel up to seven hours for an exam - while also being told not to wash, clean or change their clothes, in order to preserve evidence.

3. Improving access to abortion care

As part of achieving a fair and gender-equal future, Fair Agenda advocates for women’s full bodily autonomy - including access to abortion care.

Access to abortion in Australia remains deeply inequitable, with significant barriers across metropolitan, regional, and remote areas.

Persistent delays, stigma within the public system, and a lack of referrals from general practitioners continue to delay women’s access to abortion care, or obstruct their access to care completely. These barriers are most acutely felt by women from disadvantaged backgrounds, who are more likely to be delayed in their access to abortion care due to cost, lack of local or accessible providers, and lengthy wait times.

To address these inequities, the Federal Budget must prioritise improving the affordability and accessibility of medical abortion care, including through increased rebates for pregnancy related diagnostic imaging. These measures are essential to ensuring equitable, timely, and affordable access to abortion for all women and pregnant people in Australia. Access to abortion is not only a matter of healthcare - it is a matter of equality, dignity, and human rights.

4. Summary of recommendations

To remove barriers to women’s economic security

1. Reform taxation rules that perpetuate gender inequality
   1. Abolish the Capital Gains Tax discount on investment properties.
   2. Reform negative gearing subsidies.
2. Protect support for single mothers – by delinking the Family Tax Benefit and the ‘Maintenance Income Test’
3. Better support those providing unpaid care work by providing superannuation contributions to those receiving Carers Payments.

To improve responses to sexual violence and support for victim-survivors

1. Provide national leadership and investment to ensure victim-survivors’ timely access to specialist sexual violence counselling, by investing in the capacity of specialist sexual assault services to provide this service.
2. Evolve current trauma-informed Sexual Assault Legal Service pilots into permanent, fully-funded services for victim-survivors.
3. Consider how the Australian Government can partner with states to ensure faster access to forensic medical examinations for all Australians.

To improve access to abortion care

1. Invest in making abortion care cheaper through reviewing and increasing the Medicare rebates applied to diagnostic ultrasound in pregnancy.