In 1984, the Australian federal government introduced the world's first women's budget statement, recognising that budget measures impact men and women differently, but ceased the practice in 2014. Since 1984, almost half of OECD countries have introduced gender responsive budgeting or are in the process of doing so. The ALP is promising to reinstate the women's budget statement if elected.  Here, Professors Marian Sawer and Miranda Stewart outline the conceptual and policy innovation represented by gender budgeting, its Australian origins and the global impact of the practice. BPW recognises we need to lobby for women's budget statements at state and federal levels.