Maroondah City Council International Women's Day breakfast

Next date: Wednesday, 11 March 2026 | 07:15 AM to 09:00 AM

Join us for breakfast at Karralyka on Wednesday 11 March to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Event details 

Bookings close Wednesday 4 March, unless sold out prior.

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About Dress for Success

The mission of Dress for Success is to help unemployed and underemployed women achieve economic independence by providing no-fee programs, development tools and professional attire to thrive in work and in life. As a not-for-profit, Dress for Success Victoria relies on the generosity of our community to deliver life-changing clothing and career support programs.

The 2026 IWD theme is Give to Gain so please help us to support Dress for Success and the women they support by bringing along and donating either a new or gently used item of clothing or shoes. Every jacket, dress, pair of shoes or accessory you give helps us outfit another woman for success. We welcome workplace and smart-casual clothing in excellent condition, in all sizes, so we can serve the diverse needs of women across our community. These donations truly change lives.

About guest speaker - Leonie Bailey, President, Dress for Success

Leonie is a lawyer and mediator, and for the last 18 years has run her own private practice, focusing on family law.  During that time, she also worked and volunteered at a number of Community Legal Centres in Victoria, Western Australia and the Northern Territory and sat on a number of Boards including as Chair of the East Pilbara Independence Support and as Independent Director on the Board of the Ngarlawangga Aboriginal Corporation.

As the principal practitioner, Leonie supervised the outreach service at the Central Australian Women’s Legal Service and was contracted to the Northern Territory Department of Justice to conduct multiparty mediations in remote areas of the Northern Territory.

Leonie is speaking with us this morning as the President of Dress for Success Victoria. A role she feels privileged to undertake. Leonie is part of the Dress for Success team undertaking expansion of the organisation into regional Victoria and she is currently working with the Department of Corrections to unfold a support program in Victoria’s Women’s Correctional facilities. As well as promoting Dress for Success Victoria’s involvement in assisting women to enter the workforce she is also focused on furthering the work the organisation already does to assist refugees and women escaping family or domestic violence.

Now living on the Mornington Peninsula, Leonie spent the first 23 years of her life growing up in Croydon, having attended Ringwood East primary school, as a student in the inaugural year at Croydon West High School (now Melba College) and finally doing her matriculation at Norwood High School. And for those of you of Leonie’s generation, most Saturday nights she attended Picadilly at the Ringwood Town Hall.  She is delighted to return to the area where she grew up for this special event to celebrate International Women’s Day.

Leonia Bailey headshot

About International Women's Day

International Women’s Day has become a time to reflect on progress, to call for change and to celebrate the courage and determination of the women who changed history and those who will advance gender equality into the future. International Women’s Day is an occasion to review how far women have come in their struggle for equality, peace and development. It is also an opportunity to unite, network and mobilise for meaningful change.  

The themes for 2026 are #GiveToGain and #BalanceTheScales.

Read more about International Women's Day

When

  • Wednesday, 11 March 2026 | 07:15 AM - 09:00 AM

Location

Karralyka Centre, Mines Road, Ringwood East, 3135, View map

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