The NSW government is casting its new budget as a blueprint for women to level the playing field, as NSW Treasurer Matt Kean invoked Brittany Higgins and Grace Tame in his treasurer's message.
His first budget as treasurer includes an inaugural Women's Opportunity Statement, which he says will appear in all future budgets from 2022/23.
"It's timing is apt, if decades overdue," Mr Kean said in the budget papers released on Tuesday.
"Last year, we saw an outpouring of frustration from women across the country, following the courageous advocacy of Brittany Higgins and Grace Tame."
The treasurer said he heard stories of women calling their friends as they felt frightened walking home at night, and of women having their ideas ignored at work, before those ideas were pinched and repackaged by their male colleagues.
"When women told these stories in our newspapers, dining rooms and cafes, I saw other women listening intently and nodding in agreement," he said.
Mr Kean said those stories were backed up by statistics and noted that one in four women had been sexually harassed at work in the past five years.
Women's participation in the workforce was nine per cent lower than men's and women were retiring with about half the superannuation of their male colleagues.
The Women's Opportunity Statement outlines priority areas for reform, including increasing women's workplace participation, improving women's experience at work, supporting women in small business, prioritising women's health and respect for women.
Some $4.6 billion has been committed to increasing women's workforce participation, including $1.7 billion for childcare funding.
The budget papers reveal an ambitious plan for up to $16.5 billion in funding over the next 10 years.
Premier Dominic Perrottet said he wants NSW to be the best place in the country for women to live, work and raise a family.
"To achieve that, we have developed the most comprehensive package of initiatives to support women in the State's history," the premier said.
NSW Minister for Women Bronnie Taylor said the opportunity statement was the first step to ensuring women were empowered with economic and workplace choices.
"Women have spoken and the government listened," Ms Taylor said.
The mix of funding packages would create a more even gender mix across industries and increase workplace flexibility, she added.
Major investments for women over the next four years:
* $4.6 billion to increase women's workforce participation
* $69.4 million to improve women's experience at work
* $30.6 million to support women at work and grow entrepreneurship
* $150.5 million to improve women's health
* $108.9 million for respect for women and women's financial support.
