Women's Ethnic Network International Women's Day Breakfast 2026

Tickets available until 11:59pm, 2 March
Women’s Ethnic Network

International Women’s Day Breakfast 2026

This International Women’s Day, the Women’s Ethnic Network (WEN) invites you to Balance the Scales - a timely and grounded conversation on gender equality, leadership and systems change.

This event centres on a deep-dive conversation exploring how multicultural women are working to rebalance systems and decision-making across Queensland, the progress that has been made, and what still needs to shift to achieve genuine gender equality. The discussion will also examine the role men have to play in advancing equality — as allies, leaders and partners in change.

Grounded in lived experience and informed by policy, research and practice, the conversation reflects WEN’s core principle: nothing about us, without us.

Speakers

This year’s event brings together voices from government, community, research and advocacy, offering diverse perspectives on how progress is made — and how it can be accelerated.

• MC: Shiv Martin

• Minister Fiona Simpson

• Dr Nadia Maqboul

• Brad Chilcott AM

• Aishwarya Somal

Key highlights

• A deep-dive conversation centring multicultural women’s leadership in systems change, and the shared responsibility, including men’s, to advance gender equality.

• Reflections on progress toward gender equality — and the structural barriers that remain

• Exploring the role men play in advancing gender equality as allies and leaders

• Insights from leaders across government, community, professional sectors and advocacy

• Presentation of ECCQ’s Advancing Women Scholarships, including:

  • Cleo Xynias Multicultural Woman of the Year Scholarship

  • Emerging Professional Scholarship

Why attend

This is more than a celebration. It is a space for meaningful dialogue, shared learning and collective reflection on how far we’ve come — and how far we still need to go.

Whether you work in policy, community services, advocacy, business or government - or are simply committed to gender equality - this event offers depth, challenge and hope, led by those actively working to balance the scales.