What COVID-19 revealed about gender equality policy framing

Abstract

COVID-19 has shone a spotlight on many areas of inequality. Despite its public commitment to gender equality, Australia’s Morrison government has been accused of implementing economic stimulus policies in response to the pandemic that are often ‘gender blind’ and disadvantage women. This article examines both the Morrison government’s gender equality policies and key criticisms of its economic measures. It argues that the government’s claimed ‘gender blindness’ results not so much from an opposition to gender equality policy as from a particular neoliberal framing of it.