Merri-bek Council International Women's Day 2025 - Equal opportunities for women in sport: A conversation with Chyloe Kurdas

Please join our Mayor - Cr Helen Davidson, the Advancing Women’s Sports Participation Network and keynote speaker Chyloe Kurdas, for a special International Women’s Day event.

Our keynote speaker and panel of local sports club representatives will celebrate achievements and discuss the ongoing journey to achieve gender equality in community sport.

Register now to secure your spot at this inspiring and transformative event. 

About our keynote speaker: Chyloe Kurdas

Chyloe is a highly regarded leader with significant expertise in inclusion, belonging, high performance and transformative change. She is celebrated for her significant contributions to the inception and execution of the AFLW, the regeneration of Australian women’s golf, and inclusive sporting communities.

Joining Chyloe will be a panel of local club representative that will discuss the work happening in their clubs to support women and girls participation and inclusion: 

Our panel members are:

• Ellie Diamantopoulos: Inclusion and Diversity Officer – Brunswick Lacrosse

• Rebecca Achilleos: Junior Girls Program Manager – Pascoe Vale FC

• Kirra Johnston: Match Day and Communications Manager - Coburg Football Club 

Our MC for the evening is Abeer Fatima: 

Abeer is a youth advocate and public speaker, recognised with multiple awards for her work empowering underrepresented communities. Abeer has addressed the Victorian Parliament, been featured on SBS Urdu, and serves as a Merri-bek Youth Connector and Community Awareness Officer at headspace Craigieburn, focusing on amplifying CALD women’s voices and community well-being. 

The Advancing Women's Sports Participation Network is a network of representatives from local sports clubs and active recreation providers that meet regularly to support the growth of women, girls and gender diverse communities participation in sport. The network was a key driver of this event and has supported the planning and delivery of key elements, including the panel.

International Women's Day is celebrated in March each year. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Beijing declaration where world leaders committed to ensuring equal rights, opportunities, power, and safety for women and girls. The Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action remains the most comprehensive and visionary plan for achieving gender equality worldwide.