Empowering Women: A Summit for Growth, Power, and Purpose

Personal Growth | Professional Power | Shared Purpose

Friday 23 October 2026 | Queen Victoria Women's Centre, Melbourne

Join us for a day of thought-provoking ideas, engaging conversations and meaningful connections as we celebrate eight years of advancing women's mental health at Melbourne Centre for Women's Mental Health.

Bringing together women from psychology, health, leadership, business, sport, advocacy, finance and the creative arts, the Empowering Women Summit explores the ideas, experiences and possibilities shaping women's lives.

Through keynote presentations, panel discussions, personal stories and interactive conversations, we'll explore leadership, psychological wellbeing, endurance, identity, creativity, financial agency, social change and what women need to thrive.

Meet our speakers

Dr Sonja Skocic – Psychologist, Founder and Director of Melbourne Centre for Women's Mental Health, examining how women have challenged institutional power and its manufactured “truths” to create meaningful change.

Lynne Cazaly – International keynote speaker and author exploring cognitive load, modern work and the hidden cost of holding it all together.

Dr Olivia Ong – Physician, TEDx speaker and author sharing her remarkable journey of resilience, recovery and self-compassion following life-changing adversity.

Malavika Kadwadkar – Systems change leader and advocate exploring intersectional perspectives, collective leadership and the power of lived experience.

Tamara Protassow Adams – Creativity mentor and writing coach exploring cultural expectations, permission and creative self-expression.

Maria Dietrich, Karyn Fitts and Esther McConnell – Three accomplished endurance athletes exploring courage, adversity, perceived limits and possibility in Women Who Go the Distance.

The program also features Kabinga Mazaba, Abby Wake, Caryn Griffin and Katherine Gokavi-Whaley, bringing further perspectives on identity, leadership, movement, creativity and personal change.

Join us

Whether you're interested in professional development, fresh perspectives, personal growth or connecting with women from different disciplines and backgrounds, the Summit offers a day to think, exchange ideas and explore new possibilities.

Date: Friday 23 October 2026
Venue: Wayi Djerring – Us Together, Queen Victoria Women's Centre, 210 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
Final Release Tickets: $220

Limited places remaining. Secure your ticket and join the conversation.