International Women’s Day: Speakers Who March Forward

Help speed up progress towards gender equality. It’s what the 2025 International Women’s Day (IWD) theme “March Forward” is all about. Held each year on 8 March, IWD is always a big one on the corporate calendar. After all, forging a quicker path towards equality is important for every workplace.

It’s time to turn promises into progress. Getting that done means learning what works and how to do more of it faster. Listening to speakers with a track record of accelerating action for women is one great way to build this knowledge and find strategies, activities and resources that positively impact women and girls around the world. Here are a few ICMI speakers that fit the bill perfectly.

 

Anna Meares OAM

Olympic legend Anna Meares is a trailblazer in the truest sense, being the first Aussie athlete from any sport to win individual medals at 4 consecutive Olympic games. She was also Australia’s 2024 Chef de Mission, helping our coaches, managers and athletes get what they need to do their best at Paris 2024. It equipped her with insights on leadership and how to empower individuals to do their best with the right environment, nurturing and resources. Anna’s sure to have a few good ideas on how we can march forward for women this IWD.

Dr Dianne McGrath  

Having just circumnavigated the world on a 70-foot yacht, Dr Dianne McGrath is no stranger to pushing the limits on what we can do. She’s passionate about building a better world, from championing inclusivity and gender equality in underrepresented industries like sailing to her lifelong mission promoting environmental sustainability. When it comes to a lofty task like marching forward and accelerating action on gender equality, embracing uncertainty, bringing in diverse perspectives and tackling the job with the mindset of an explorer are some of Dianne’s top tips. 

Div Pilay  

A renowned inclusion and diversity leader with over 25 years of experience, Div Pillay is a valuable thought leader on our shared mission to march forward. Some of her great calls have included reinforcing economic inclusion in workplaces. Auditing pay equity in businesses, for example, is one of the simplest ways we can move faster towards gender equity. Div has also recommended auditing structural biases in recruitment, selection and promotion that hold women back. She’s got plenty more insights to share at your IWD event. 

Nicki Hutley  

As a highly experienced economist, Nicki Hutley is brimming with practical insights on how we can march forward and accelerate action on gender equality from the standpoint of finance and economics. As a member of the Financy Women’s Index Advisory Committee, she’s part of the team that measures the progress of Australian women in terms of gender financial equality. This gives her a unique ability to share insights and strategies on how we can better empower women in the corporate world and society at large. 

Amna Karra Hassan  

Founder of the first-ever AFL women’s team in Western Sydney, Amna Karra-Hassan has been marching forward in the world of women’s sports for years. Her actions were crucial to getting the GWS Giants established in the AFLW. Her experience as a female Muslim living in Australia and an active community leader also means she has a unique perspective on intersectionality and social justice. It’s something that’ll prove crucial in uncovering new ways we can march forward in everyday spaces like our workplaces.

Rhiannon Tracey 

Look for a powerful voice on intersectional advocacy for women? Rhiannon Tracey is one of the best you can find for IWD. After living as an able-bodied person for 21 years, a sudden diving accident resulted in being quadriplegic. Now Rhiannon shares valuable perspectives on inclusivity in our workplaces and communities, which no doubt include unique insights on how we can empower women with disabilities.

Pauline Nguyen  

Best-selling author and award-winning businesswoman ​​Pauline Nguyen triumphed over adversity as a Vietnamese refugee to become one of Australia’s most successful entrepreneurs. She is passionate about the importance of investing in women of diverse backgrounds, highlighting the power of diversity and embracing our differences as powerful weapons for business. Pauline’s approach to marching forward is all about celebrating our differences to find new solutions and create extraordinary outcomes.

Bri Lee 

Author, activist and academic Bri Lee has plenty of thoughts on how to march forward in meaningful ways. She gained acclaim with her award-winning memoir, Eggshell Skull, which looked at sexism in the legal system. Passionate about criminal justice reform, Bri co-authored a pivotal paper on Queensland’s consent laws. She also launched the “Freadom Inside initiative”, aimed at enhancing literacy for incarcerated women. Bri is a valuable voice for IWD, with unique perspectives on everything from power dynamics in education and knowledge access to how systemic inequality gets in the way of change. 

 

Interested in booking a speaker for International Women’s Day? Call us now on 1800 334 625 or make an enquiry online.