A banner featuring a graphic of diverse women doing different activities next to text reading "International women's Day 2026. Balancing the Scales in Goulburn North East"
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International Women’s Day is celebrated every year on 8 March. In 2026, the UN Women Australia theme is ‘Balance the Scales’. This means ensuring that women and girls have equal access to opportunities across social, professional, civic and community settings.

International Women’s Day (IWD) is an annual event, led globally by the United Nations, held on 8 March. The purpose of IWD is to recognise and celebrate women and girls, while shining a light on the work that still needs to be done to achieve gender equality.

In 2026, UN Women Australia has declared the theme ‘Balance the Scales’, which is a call to action to ensure that women and girls of all backgrounds should be ‘safe, heard, and free to shape their own lives.’ We can do this using every day actions that challenge sexism and inequality in settings across our social and family lives, workplaces, community and in the way we engage with public discussions, politicians and the policies we support.

Anyone can get involved in IWD. Community members can attend one of the many local events in their area celebrating the day – check out our local event guide, further down the Toolkit. For local groups and organisations, there are a range of ways to support and celebrate women, while calling for change.

  • Post on social media or in your newsletter
  • Hold an event, like a family fun day, morning tea or film screening
  • Highlight women’s stories and achievements
  • Do some research – what are the major issues impacting women and girls in your community?
  • Invite a speaker to talk about an issue relevant to your community or group
  • Start a conversation about how to support gender equality in your organisation or group

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A purple and green tile with decorative graphics and text reading: "This international Women's Day let's Balance the Scales together. The barriers to gender equality can be dismantled."

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A purple and green banner with decorative graphics and text reading 'International Women's Day Balance the Scales'

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This International Women’s Day, we’re joining the call to ‘balance the scales.’

When women and girls stand equal, families are stronger, workplaces are fairer, communities thrive, and society becomes safer for everyone.

Let’s all commit to doing our bit – challenge gender stereotypes, support and empower women and girls, and call for action on gender equality from governments and workplaces.

See what needs still needs to be done locally by checking out the Goulburn North East Gender Equity Snapshot: https://www.whealth.com.au/news/iwd2026/

Wodonga

  • IWD multicultural event, open to everyone, Saturday 7 March, 4-8pm – for details view the flyer



Wangaratta


Shepparton



Mitchell Shire 


Strathbogie Shire

Moira Shire

The Gender Equity Gap snapshot shares key gender equity data from across Goulburn North East, highlighting where progress is happening and where we can continue working together to balance the scales.


An infographic showing data from Goulburn North East that demonstrates the gender equity gap, with women more likely to be in unpaid work, take on caring roles and be single parents. Click the image for a PDF version.

The theme of International Women’s Day 2026 is ‘Balance the Scales.’ Balancing the scales means creating a region where every woman and girl, no matter her postcode, income, background or identity, can live safely, be heard, and access the same opportunities as men.

Across Goulburn North East, our communities are diverse, resilient and deeply connected. Women play vital roles in families, workplaces, services and community life, often carrying much of the unpaid care and support that keeps communities strong.

At the same time, the latest data shows there is still important work to do to achieve gender equity in our region.

Women here are more likely to experience violence, economic insecurity, and barriers to health care – including long travel times for specialist reproductive services. Many local areas remain above the Victorian average for family and sexual violence, and recent disasters have added extra pressure on women’s safety, wellbeing and access to support.

These challenges are not inevitable. They reflect systems and structures that can be improved, through strong services, community leadership, and collective action. Gender equity is about fairness, dignity, safety and opportunity for people of all genders.

When women and girls are safe, supported and represented in leadership, our whole region benefits. Communities thrive, workplaces are fairer, families are stronger, and future generations grow up with greater equality.

Together, we can build a region where women and girls are supported to thrive.

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