International Women's Day
City of Ryde celebrates women’s achievements and supports gender equality as part of International Women’s Day (IWD) in March.
This year’s International Women's Day Forum theme is Balance the Scales.
On Saturday 7 March, City of Ryde will host an International Women's Day Forum at Lachlan’s Line Auditorium, featuring an impressive line-up of guest speakers and performers.
Ronni Kahn AO, CEO and founder of OzHarvest, is a pioneering social entrepreneur recognised for transforming Australia’s food‑waste landscape. A leading advocate for food security and sustainability, she appears regularly in national media and works with some of the world’s top chefs to support her mission to fight food waste and feed people in need. Ronni has been honoured as an Officer of the Order of Australia and named Australian Local Hero of the Year. Her story is featured in the documentary Food Fighter, and she is the co‑author of the biography A Repurposed Life, which was nominated for an ABIA Biography Book of the Year award.
Sonia Casanova, CEO of Dress for Success, is a purpose‑driven leader with more than 25 years’ experience across strategy, marketing, business development, and operational management. She has held senior roles in the tourism, aviation, and financial services sectors, founded an award‑winning marketing consultancy, and brings over 15 years of non‑executive director experience to her governance work. A strong advocate for gender equality, Sonia is committed to increasing women’s representation in leadership. She holds a Master of Business, a Master of Legal Studies, is a Fellow of the Australian Marketing Institute, and a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Elaskia is an Australian singer, songwriter and performer whose cinematic pop sound has gained international recognition. Her debut single Calling Out My Name featured in the US series Dynasty and Marvel’s Runaways, with later releases also appearing on Home and Away. She has supported artists such as Vera Blue, Ball Park Music, The Jungle Giants, Xavier Rudd, Kate Ceberano, Ben Lee and Daryl Braithwaite, and featured on Lachie Gill’s track Right People Wrong Time, which has surpassed 1.7 million YouTube views. Elaskia has performed at major festivals across Australia and New Zealand, earning GRAMMY® ballot recognition, a Billboard feature and a Triple J Like A Version performance.
Elaskia will be providing a live performance at the forum.