International Womens Day 2026By Secret Womens Collab
Come celebrate
The theme of International Women’s Day 2026 is Balance the Scales. UN Women Australia describes Balance the Scales as a call for real action to ensure women and girls are safe, heard, and free to shape their own futures. While progress has been made, inequality and barriers still exist, and meaningful change requires collective effort.
For Secret Women’s Collab, this event is about creating space for those conversations in a way that feels inclusive, supportive and grounded in community. Rather than centering the event around a single keynote speaker, we are intentionally taking a panel-based approach, highlighting a range of women and voices.
Through panels, conversation and connection, attendees will walk away feeling inspired, empowered and more connected to a community of like minded women. Our business showcase further supports this by giving local businesses the opportunity to share what they do in a room full of supportive peers.
Converse
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Inspire
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Support
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Connect
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Converse ✳︎ Inspire ✳︎ Support ✳︎ Connect ✳︎
Our Approach to
International Women's DayIt's important to us in this community to support all women in business, and open conversations where we can relate to others, be inspired by others, inspire others, and genuinely connect with others on the same journey.
So when it came to planning this event, a keynote speaker wasn't going to be a fit for us - it was more being talked at, rather than allowing us to open the door to authentic conversation around this important topic.
Instead we have:
A panel session of local leaders - an opportunity to hear from and ask questions of local leaders in our community about how women in this community can build successful careers and balance the scales.
A panel of women in business - an opportunity to hear from and ask questions of female business owners from within our community and further afield about how they're balancing the scales by building successful businesses.
Take a look further down the page to see our panel guests, showcase businesses, sponsors and contributors. Events like this cannot happen at this level without the valuable contribution given by all of these women and their businesses
With Special thanks to Our Event Sponsors
This event would not be possible without the contribution of our sponsors.
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Eucalypt Remedial Massage - Silver Sponsor
Welcome to Eucalypt Remedial Massage - a home-based clinic in the Village of Wellard.
Specialising in headache treatments and pregnancy massage to name a few, Georgia prides herself on creating a safe space for my clients, whether they're visiting for Remedial maintenance on their body, or just an hour to themselves.
Connect with Georgia:
Insta: @eucalypt.remedial.massage
Facebook: @eucalypt.remedial.massage
Website: www.eucalyptremedialmassage.com.au
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Breathe Counselling - Bronze Sponsor
Joanna Gwynn is the Co-Director of Breathe Counselling, an organisation dedicated to strengthening mental health and wellbeing with several locations across regional and metropolitan Western Australia. Breathe has been serving our community for 10 years.
Currently undertaking formal training in Breathwork, Joanna is expanding Breathe’s holistic approach to emotional wellbeing. Life in Flow Breathwork is an accredited, complementary therapy offering a powerful, somatic pathway to emotional regulation, stress reduction, and deeper self-awareness.
Joanna’s passion for holistic wellbeing is personal and purposeful, shaped by her own experience navigating cancer treatment. Today, she brings that lived wisdom into her work - championing balance, resilience, and connection.
Connect with Joanna:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/breathecounselling/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/breathe-counsellingofficial/ Website: https://breathecounsellingperth.com.au/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/counsellinginperth/?_rdr
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Easy Fit Meals - Bronze Sponsor
Vanessa Thornley is the founder of Easy Fit Meals, a Perth-based ready-made meal business she’s run for over 10 years while raising two boys and juggling all the moving parts of life.
She works with driven women - especially business owners - who are great at running everything else but feel a bit lost when it comes to their own health.
Vanessa focuses on simple, practical nutrition and habits that actually fit into a busy life. No extremes. No starting over every Monday. Just structure, consistency, and doing the basics properly.
Her style is straight-talking, realistic, and built for women who want to feel strong, energised, and in control again.
Connect with Vanessa:
Website: www.easyfit.net.au
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/easyfitmealsperth/ &
https://www.instagram.com/vanessathornley_/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/easyfitperth
Meet the Women behind our International Women’s Day
Secret Women’s Collab is all about starting with a conversation. Join us across two (2) panels, as we have a conversation about balancing the scales in our community.
Local Leaders 
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Lorna Buchan is the Mayor of the City of Rockingham and a strong advocate for building an inclusive, connected and opportunity-driven community. With a background in forensic audit and qualifications as a Chartered Accountant, she brings a practical, collaborative leadership style and a commitment to team cohesion that drives meaningful impact.
Elected as a Councillor in 2019, Deputy Mayor in 2023 and Mayor in 2025, Lorna is passionate about supporting local women in business, strengthening community vibrancy and creating the conditions for sustainable economic growth. Her priorities include expanding tourism, enhancing the Rockingham foreshore and ensuring the community benefits from emerging defence-related opportunities.
A proud Secret Harbour resident, Lorna brings a grounded and thoughtful perspective to every conversation. She is committed to shaping a city where women feel supported, connected and empowered to thrive.
What Balance the Scales means to Lorna:
Balancing the scales means ensuring every woman has the opportunity — and the support — to step forward, be heard, succeed and lead.
Connect with Lorna:
Facebook: Lorna Buchan - Mayor of Rockingham | Facebook
LinkedIn: Lorna Buchan | LinkedIn
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Sue Hasey is the CEO of the RKCC and a strategic leader with extensive experience across business management, systems design, and process improvement. She previously held senior executive roles at Wesfarmers Chemicals, Energy & Fertilisers (WesCEF), driving innovation and operational efficiency across agricultural, chemical, and IT divisions.
Recognised for her contributions to both business and community, Sue also serves as Vice Chair of Bendigo Bank Rockingham and Nada Mir Inc, Chapter Council Member of the Australian Industry & Defence Network (AIDN-WA), and Board Director with Peel Thunder Football Club and Maverick Theatre Productions.
An entrepreneur at heart, she is also the founder and owner of two small businesses.
What Balance the Scales means to Sue:
Balance the Scales, to me, is about creating steadiness across work and life. It can mean managing your workload, so it stays achievable, supporting your team so they feel valued and aligned, and giving each situation the attention and resources it needs to feel fair and sustainable.
It also means recognising that balance is not always a perfect 50/50 split. Some days might be 80 percent work and 20 percent home, and other days the opposite.
It is about allowing those shifts while ensuring both sides receive what they need over time so you remain grounded and effective.
Connect with Sue:
Website: https://www.rkcc.org.au/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rockinghamkwinanachamberofcommerce/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/sue-hasey-1ba957230/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rkchamber
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rkcc_/
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Lisa Smith is a seasoned economic development leader with deep experience across industry, government and business ecosystems in both Australia and the UK. She currently drives the City of Kwinana’s economic development strategy, championing innovation, investment attraction and sustainable growth in one of Western Australia’s most important industrial regions.
Previously, Lisa served as CEO of the Albany Chamber of Commerce and Industry, where she strengthened the Great Southern’s business landscape and led initiatives that accelerated regional prosperity. She has also operated her own consultancy, advising and coaching organisations to build capability, resilience and long‑term success.
In 2021, Lisa was recognised as one of Australia’s Top 50 Small Business Leaders for her pivotal role in helping hundreds of businesses navigate the pandemic’s challenges.
Lisa is a Board Member of the Small Business Development Corporation, a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and a committed mentor to women from all backgrounds.
What Balance the Scales means to Lisa:
One of her guiding principles is that “a rising tide lifts all boats.” In the context of International Women’s Day, Lisa believes that equality requires more than balance—it requires removing systemic barriers so that women and girls can access opportunity on equal footing, creating a fairer, more stable and more prosperous society for all.
Connect with Lisa: Website:https://www.kwinana.wa.gov.au/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisadockerysmith/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cityofkwinana
Women Building Successful Businesses
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Michelle Murphy is a women’s health physiotherapist, business owner, educator, and business mentor with over 20 years’ experience supporting women across all life stages. She is the owner of Mercy Physiotherapy, a women’s health–focused clinic, and the founder of Glow Pelvic Health, an education platform dedicated to upskilling health, wellness, and fitness professionals in female physiology and pelvic health.
Michelle is deeply passionate about connection, community, and women lifting each other up. She believes that when women are supported, educated, and confident in their worth, the ripple effect extends far beyond the individual into families, workplaces, and communities. Through her clinical work, education, and mentorship, Michelle is committed to empowering women and health professionals to lead, grow, and thrive together in sustainable, values-led ways.
What Balance the Scales means to Michelle:
To me, balancing the scales means addressing the long-standing inequity in women’s health. Historically, women’s bodies have been under-researched, misunderstood, and often dismissed, leaving generations of women to normalise pain, leakage, discomfort, and silence. The stigma surrounding women’s health has meant that many women were taught to put up with symptoms rather than seek support or expect better care.
Balancing the scales means changing that narrative. It’s about improving education, closing knowledge gaps, and ensuring women’s health is no longer treated as a niche or an afterthought. It also means creating spaces, in healthcare, fitness, and the wider community, where women feel safe to ask questions, speak openly, and be believed. When we remove stigma and invest properly in women’s health, the benefits ripple out to families, workplaces, and society as a whole.
Connect with Michelle:
Website: www.mercyphysio.com.au
Website: glowpelvichealth.com.au
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-murphy-691371170/
Insta: _michelle_murphy
Insta: mercy_physio
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Amy Christopherson is the Founder and Director of Grounded HR, a people-first HR consultancy supporting small businesses across Australia. With a deep belief that sustainable businesses are built by caring for the humans within them, Amy helps leaders create workplaces that are compliant, kind and grounded in real life, not corporate jargon.
Known for her calm, heart-centred approach, Amy champions women in business to lead with clarity, boundaries and compassion, while prioritising their own wellbeing alongside their teams’. Through her work, speaking and community involvement, she is passionate about redefining leadership as something we practice, not a title we hold.
What Balance the Scales means to Amy:
To me, Balance the Scales means recognising that women have been carrying invisible loads for far too long, emotional labour, people care, responsibility without authority, and success defined by burnout.
Balancing the scales isn’t about doing more, it’s about designing work, leadership and businesses that allow women to succeed without sacrificing their wellbeing. It’s about normalising boundaries, valuing people as whole humans, and creating environments where ambition and sustainability can coexist. When we get that right, everyone benefits - not just women, but teams, families and communities as a whole.
Connect with Amy:
Website: https://www.groundedhr.com.au
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-christopherson
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/groundedhr
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-hr-link-people-first-conversations/id1835325663
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GroundedHR
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Emily Fogg is an experienced educator and the founder of Wise Owl Education, a tutoring service specialising in supporting students with learning difficulties including dyslexia, ADHD, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia.
With over 16 years in education, across both mainstream and special needs settings, Emily saw a gap in accessible, evidence-based support for neurodivergent learners. That’s what sparked the idea for Wise Owl Education.
Today, Wise Owl has grown into more than just a tutoring service. It offers personalised tuition, educational assessments, digital resources, and professional learning for parents and teachers, making quality education support easier to access and more inclusive than ever.
What balancing the scales means to me
In my personal life, I balance the scales by giving my time and energy where it’s most needed. Some seasons, my family needs more of me, whether that’s showing up for school events or just being present at home. Other times, business demands more attention, and I shift my focus accordingly. At home, we are constantly adjusting. Sometimes I pick up more of the load, sometimes he does. It’s never perfectly even, but it’s always about what works best in that moment for our family.
In education, balancing the scales is just as important. It’s not about giving every student the same support, it’s about giving each student the right support. That’s especially true for women and girls. While girls are generally outperforming boys academically, we still see underrepresentation in areas like STEM and leadership roles. That tells us something. Just because girls might be doing well in certain metrics doesn’t mean the scales are balanced.
Equity means looking deeper. It means giving girls the confidence, opportunities, and support to enter male-dominated fields not just assuming the playing field is fair because the grades are high.
This International Women’s Day, I’m reflecting on how we can keep balancing the scales, not just for women and girls, but for anyone who needs a different kind of support to thrive.
Connect with Emily:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wiseowl_education
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/wiseowleducationinternational
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Erin is the founder and jeweller behind Elova Jewellery, a business she’s grown from the ground up over the past 12 years while raising two children. What began in a small shed at her parents’ home, meeting clients in local cafés, has slowly evolved into a purpose-built studio and appointment space here in Western Australia. She creates high-quality, bespoke jewellery using premium materials sourced from Australian suppliers, making jewellery the way it used to be made, intentionally, by hand, and never mass-manufactured. Staying closely connected to every stage of the process allows her to create pieces that are deeply personal, built to last, and centred on craftsmanship and meaning. Over the years, Elova Jewellery has been honoured with two regional business awards, recognising the care and integrity behind the work they do.
What “Balance the Scales” means to Erin: I’ve been fortunate to grow up in a loving, supportive environment, which makes it deeply confronting to me that in Australia a woman is still killed by an intimate partner every nine days, and that First Nations women are far more likely to experience severe family violence. To me, Balance the Scales speaks to the urgency of needing to create fair, safe systems and education that genuinely works for people, with less administrative delay and faster action, as well as taking responsibility for how we raise our children, treat one another, and stand up for those who can’t always speak for themselves.
Connect with ErinWebsite: https://www.elovajewellery.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/elovajewelleryInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/elovajewellery
Our Contributors
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Sarah Thomson, founder of Online Social Butterfly, is a seasoned trainer with tens of thousands of hours of experience delivering both online and in-person workshops. With over 25 years in marketing and communications, she has worked across corporate, government, and not-for-profit sectors, and is widely sought after for her ability to train at all levels. Sarah has delivered over 3000 government mentoring sessions, trained more than 2000 business owners in AI, and in 2024 alone guided over 4000 participants in digital marketing. Known as an inspiring keynote speaker and expert educator, Sarah blends strategy, clarity, and heart-led mentoring.
What “Balance the Scales” means to Sarah:
For me, “Balance the Scales” is not about doing more to prove our worth, it is about questioning why the scales were uneven in the first place. For so many women, myself included, balance has been framed as something we achieve by working harder, being more organised, or carrying more with a smile, especially when something feels heavy, we are taught to believe it is our responsibility to carry it better. In my work with women in business, I see this pattern all the time, brilliant, capable women doing all the right things yet feeling stretched, exhausted, or quietly doubting themselves, blaming themselves rather than the systems and stories that taught them to stay small, agreeable, and constantly available. Balancing the scales, for me, means shifting from hustle to alignment, from permission seeking to self trust, and from proving ourselves to choosing what truly fits, building businesses and lives rooted in clarity, ease, and intuition rather than burnout and external validation. When women rebalance the scales in their own lives, the ripple effect is powerful, families benefit, communities benefit, and workplaces become both softer and stronger, and so today, as we explore what Balance the Scales means, I invite you to gently ask yourself, where am I carrying weight that was never mine to hold?
Connect with Sarah:
Website: https://onlinesocialbutterfly.com.au/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OnlineSocialButterfly
Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/digital-queens/id1616598494
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Billy Stitch started as Steph’s husband's hobby and she didn’t quite realise what she was signing up for. But what started as a side project 3 years ago, has grown into a bold WA spirits brand with a team of seven and a reputation for big flavours and vibrant personality.
Billy Stitch is built on the idea that craft spirits don’t have to be quiet or conventional. Their 50% ABV, grape-based spirits are strong in flavour and strong in identity,colourful, creative and unapologetically different.
Steph currently leads marketing, events and pop-up activations, helping bring the brand to life across markets, festivals and collaborations. As any small business owner knows, though, no role is ever just one thing, she also dabbles in strategy, storytelling, logistics and whatever needs doing that week.
For Steph, it’s been a crash course in resilience, reinvention and committing fully once you’re in.
What “Balance the Scales” means to Steph:
There is a book you might be familiar with called The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fck* and one of the ideas that stuck with me is that we only have a limited number of things we can genuinely care about.
And when you’re running a business and living life, you realise very quickly that you can’t give your energy to everything. You have to choose. I can’t give equal energy to teaching, Billy Stitch, family, friends and growth all at once.
So I’ve had to decide what matters most in each season and be okay with letting some things be good enough.
Connect with Steph:
Website: https://billystitch.com.au/
Facebook: www.facebook.com/billystitchdistillery/?locale=en_GB
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/107569287/admin/dashboard/
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Vicky started her company in 2006 under the name Everlasting Reminders. Her core work focused on creating digital slideshows for funerals, working closely with funeral directors, while also filming weddings, funerals, and events.
When COVID hit Australia in 2020, she pivoted the business to VickyK Productions, with a focus on live streaming weddings, funerals, and events. More recently, she has expanded into content creation.
What Balance the Scales means to Michelle:
Equal opportunity for all in all fields.
Connect with Vicky:
Website: https://vickyk19.wixsite.com/vickykproductions
VickyK Productions Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/vickykproductions
Fun Frames Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/funframescontentcreator
Our VenueThis event is held at Hotel Clipper, Rockingham, supporting us to bring together small business owners and working women in a central hub from Mandurah to Cockburn and surrounds.
Meet Our Charity PartnerIntroducing WA Mums Cottage.
At our event on 24 February 2026, we’ll be running a raffle, where all proceeds will go directly to WA Mums Cottage.
WA Mums Cottage is an independent, not for profit charity which was established in 2016, to create a nurturing environment for women and mothers in need. Today, WA Mums Cottage continues to evolve and provide a unique and welcoming space for women facing crisis situations.
Their services include:
Day respite
Mentoring
Counselling support
Advocacy
Emergency relief
All offered in a compassionate, supportive, and homely environment.
WA Mums Cottage is self-funded and operates with a volunteer board, and workforce of 25 volunteers and just one direct employee. They run an Op Shop and Cafe to support their sustainability, and otherwise rely on fundraising, donations and grants.
You can find the cafe and op shop at 25 Davey Street, Mandurah.
To donate directly to WA Mums Cottage: https://wamumscottage.org.au/donations/
Raffle Prizes & Attendee Gifts Donated By
Business Showcase
