The way I am reading this is Labour has heard those who are telling them that this issue on women and gender could lose them the election, and they are trying to get ahead of it by attacking the Tories on women's issues and trying to beef up their credibility.
But they are so unable to understand what the problem is, they are totally screwing it up, and you end up with:
"A Government source responded: 'This accusation is absurd coming from a party that has never been led by a woman, and that has hit out at one of its own MPs [Rosie Duffield] while she was facing a barrage of misogynistic abuse. We won't be taking any lessons from Labour on protecting women.'"
Which makes the Tories look like normal people and Labour look like complete idiots.
The problem is the people doing their election strategy are really at the level of "Tories are evil misogynists/racists/bigots, and Labour are Good" and they have no ability to consider that might not actually be the root of different policy choices by the parties.