International Women's Day Illawarra 2026

Get your tickets for the 21^st International Women’s Day Illawarra Lunch and help celebrate women in your community and around the world.

Hear from inspiring guest speaker Jana Pittman… Olympian, doctor, mother and TV personality. Her remarkable journey highlighting the power of resilience and reinvention will leave you feeling inspired.

Jana Pittman epitomises resilience and determination. A two-time world champion and four-time Commonwealth gold medallist in the 400m hurdles and relays, she is the only Australian woman to have competed at both the Summer and Winter Olympics—switching from track to bobsleigh in 2014. When injury setbacks threatened her career, she reinvented herself on the ice, proving her trademark tenacity.

Away from sport, Jana pursued medicine, graduating with a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (First Class Honours, University Medal) in 2019, followed by a Master’s in Reproductive Medicine in 2020. She is now undertaking a PhD in Obstetrics while working as a Registrar in Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

Her media profile includes SAS Australia (2021), The Amazing Race (2023) with her eldest son, and co-hosting Australia’s Most Identical alongside Scott Cam on Nine/WIN. She is also a strong advocate for cervical cancer awareness following her own health scare.

A mother of six - including twins most recently - Jana has authored two books: Just Another Hurdle and Enough.

International Women’s Day always celebrates a global theme, and in 2026 it is Balance the Scales - a promise that every woman and girl – regardless of background or identity – should be safe, heard, and free to shape their own lives.

The IWD Illawarra lunch event has been supporting local women and organisations for over 20 years and is one of the biggest and most sought-after events in the Illawarra’s calendar. Tickets sell fast so don’t miss your opportunity to be a part of this amazing event!

General Public tickets go on sale Friday 28 November 10:00am.