International Women's Day 2026 Hosted by Bass Coast Shire Council

Join us for a celebration of International Women's Day 2026 hosted by Bass Coast Shire Council!

International Women's Day 2026 Hosted by Bass Coast Shire Council

Date: Friday, 6 March 2026

Time: 12.00pm - 3.00pm

Location: Phillip Island Winery, Berrys Beach Road, Ventnor 3922

Bass Coast Shire Council together with partners Westernport Water, Phillip Island Nature Parks and Bayside Health invites you to celebrate this International Women’s Day by joining us for a special lunch at Phillip Island Winery on Friday, 6 March 2026.

Attendees will enjoy a welcome drink along with a grazing platter followed by a selection of delicious wood fired pizzas. Further drinks available for purchase at the bar.

Tables are long style with allocated seating. Please email emma.sorensen@basscoast.vic.gov.au to arrange seating with other ticket purchasers. Seating will be allocated a week prior to the event and every effort will be made to accommodate your requests.

We are very excited to announce guest speaker, Hannah Diviney.

Hannah is a writer, disability advocate, actress, screenwriter, author and media personality.

Her disability advocacy has garnered global attention thanks to both a viral petition encouraging Disney to create a disabled Disney Princess and a successful campaign encouraging both Lizzo and Beyonce to change ableist lyrics.

Her debut book, I'll Let Myself In, a collection of personal essays chronicling what it means to come of age in a world not built for you, was released in 2023.

As a writer, her work has appeared in Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, Mamamia and The Guardian, among others. She’s the former Editor in Chief of global grassroots media company, Missing Perspectives, which she also co-founded, dedicated to platforming and making space for the lived experience of women and girls around the world.

As if that wasn't enough, she's also an actor, having made television history as the first disabled person in Australia to do a sex scene on television, thanks to SBS Digital Originals series, Latecomers. She made her feature film debut in the SXSW premiere pick Audrey.

About International Women's Day

International Women’s Day is a time for inspiration and change. Every year since 1911, this global day marks the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women, while calling to accelerate women's equality.

The International Women’s Day 2026 theme is BalancetheScales.

Balance the Scales is a promise that every woman and girl - regardless of background or identity - deserve to be safe, respected, and free to shape their own lives.

Yet in 2026, too many across Australia and the world are still denied that fair go. Discriminatory laws, harmful practices, and gender-based violence remain widespread, while structural barriers continue to block access to justice.

These barriers are not inevitable. They were built - and they can be dismantled.

Equality is not about advantage for some; it’s about dignity, safety, and fairness for all.

This event is not just for people who identify as women: everybody is welcome. International Women's Day is a time for us all, regardless of gender identity, to acknowledge the progress that women have made towards equality - while remembering there is still much to do. Inspiring inclusion, achieving equality, building allyship and dismantling damaging stereotypes is as important for men as it is for women, so we welcome everyone to attend.