Last year close to 900 men and women attended the event at the WIN Entertainment Centre where special guest Magda Szubanski had everyone totally enthralled with her life story. 

This year, journalist, television presenter and three-time best selling author Jessica Rowe will be the keynote speaker.

International Women’s Day is celebrated on March 8 world-wide to acknowledge the gains women have made over the years and to bring to light the issues many still face. Our celebration, this year on Friday, March 2, will be the 13^th annual Illawarra event.

One of the key components of the event involves the awarding of six $2000 scholarships which are awarded “to encourage Illawarra women who might not otherwise have the opportunity to expand their knowledge, skill and experience in a field of their interest or in which they have shown great potential”.

Five of these annual scholarships have been named after inspiring Illawarra women who are sadly no longer with us but have left their mark on the region in the various fields in which they excelled, while the Creative Spirit IWD Scholarship for Women, was inspired by the artistic community of the Illawarra and to foster upcoming female talent in the field.

In 2018 IWD Illawarra will be adding a new scholarship, in honour of Dr Margaret Gardiner, to be awarded to a local woman in the field of medical research in the area of cancer.

The six scholarships are:

· Cate Stevenson IWD Scholarship for Women – Education, Business & Community Service

· Kerryn McCann IWD Scholarship for Women – Athletics

· Aunty Mary IWD Scholarship for Indigenous Women – General

· Creative Spirit IWD Scholarship for Women – Arts

· Beryl Lewis Scholarship for Older Women

· Dr Margaret Gardiner Scholarship for Medical Research.

The winners of these scholarships will be announced at the dinner and be the focus of a special edition of the Illawarra Mercury on Saturday, March 3.

You can purchase tickets to attend the event via http://iwdillawarra.com.au/