Canberra’s most anticipated women’s leadership event – and five reasons why you should clear your schedule for it

Posted on 18 May, 2026

The She Leads Conference is YWCA Canberra’s flagship leadership initiative, returning for its 12^th year this July. The premier event brings together women and non-binary leaders for a full day of thought-provoking conversations, engaging seminars, and networking where you build connections that last well beyond the day.

There are conferences you consider going to because someone at work forwarded you the link and it seems like an ‘interesting professional development opportunity.’ And then there are conferences where the program includes incredible women who frequent the headlines of your preferred news digest for the systemic change they’re creating.

She Leads Conference 2026: FORGE is the latter.

Taking place on Friday 31 July at the Canberra Rex Hotel and emceed by journalist and comedian, Chris Ryan, She Leads Conference brings together women leaders who are creating enduring change in our community. It’s a chance to hear their reflections on the barriers they’ve faced, the decisions that shaped their careers, and the skills they honed that took them to the top.

Here are five reasons why you don’t want to miss out on this conference.

Perhaps you’ve heard of their keynotes?

Most of us will remember the news stories from the early 2000s. Resilience personified and one of Australia’s bravest, Sophie Delezio will be taking the stage as a keynote at the Conference. After surviving two life-threatening accidents as a child, she endured years of surgeries and rehabilitation, transforming profound personal adversity into a platform for national impact. Her family’s foundation has since raised over $14 million for pediatric burns research and support services for critically injured children. Sophie’s journey is an inspiration beyond measure, and she’ll be sharing her story at the She Leads Conference.

The next keynote is contemporary artist, curator and the First Lady of MONA – Kirsha Kaechele. She is the figure behind the Ladies Lounge, a women-only installation that caused a global gender equity firestorm and ultimately garnered the support of both women everywhere and the Supreme Court of Tasmania for her right to keep it that way. Kirsha doesn’t make art about problems; she makes the problems the art.

On the theme of complexity, Dr. Michelle Dickinson is a globally acclaimed nanotechnologist, best-selling author, and science communicator with 20 years of engineering experience. In a world where emerging technologies can feel more intimidating than empowering, Dr. Michelle’s expertise lies in making the complex comprehensible and inspiring others to shape the future they actually want to live in.

And last but most certainly not the least – a Noongar human rights lawyer, academic and a leading advocate for Aboriginal women and children, Prof Hannah McGlade is the final piece of the puzzle. With numerous accolades to her name, Prof Hannah has spent her career standing in the spaces where the law has been unable to do right by Aboriginal women and children and refusing to leave until something changes. She has served on many tribunals, boards and committees, and her expert opinion has contributed directly to Indigenous rights mechanisms at the United Nations.

The Conference celebrates ‘Difficult Women’ who refused to settle for less

Because most women know exactly what that label means. Too loud. Too direct. Too ambitious. Too unwilling to smile politely through nonsense.

The ‘Celebrating the Many Faces of Difficult Women’ panel is exactly what it suggests, bringing together women who’ve challenged systems, pushed back publicly, and refused to make themselves smaller to keep other people comfortable.

The first feature on the panel is Frances Crimmins, who has spent more than a decade leading YWCA Canberra while advocating nationally on homelessness, domestic violence and gender equality.

Up next is Heather Reid AM – a longtime force in women’s football who helped carve out pathways for generations of female athletes in Canberra and beyond.

Leadership advisor and Canberra Innovation Network Chair Hala Batainah is the third panellist, and she openly describes being called “difficult” as proof she’s asking better questions and challenging bad systems.

The final name on the list is Genevieve Krienke, the young lawyer and football captain who recently made headlines after publicly calling out sexist behaviour within her club leadership and then walking away when meaningful accountability failed to follow.

There’s also Women at the Vanguard – a panel that celebrates women who are building the future through leadership, innovation, and/or activism. Featuring women from diverse sectors, this panel highlights how women are driving transformative change in a variety of sectors.

Rounding out the program is Forging Legacy – Sponsored by Parker Coles Curtis. This panel focuses on women leaders who are creating lasting impact by educating and inspiring future leaders. It highlights the importance of legacy-building and intergenerational leadership in sustaining progress.

It’s not just speeches – there are practical seminars too

Inspirational keynotes are important. But you also want to leave with something you can put into practice on Monday morning.

The breakout sessions include seminars on communication, stress and mindset, human connection, and workplace culture – including FORGE Your Voice with Annelise McCarthy, Forging Potential with Dr Lauren Burns OAM, and Forge a Thriving Culture with Penny Nesbitt.

Yes, there will be big-picture thinking. But there will also be tools, frameworks and ideas you can take back into real workplaces, real conversations and real moments where you need to hold your nerve.

Everyone deserves a seat at the table

In a landscape where women leadership events are costing more than people’s rents, the She Leads Conference values accessibility, ensuring that you don’t get priced out of discovering your leadership pathway. This was an important part of sponsoring the event for She Leads Champion Sponsor, Nadia Pessarossi.

She says, “My contribution…. is about ensuring ticket prices stay accessible, so more women can be there, in that space, having those conversations, feeling that sense of belonging and empowerment.”

Early bird ticket prices start as low as $400.

There’s a rooftop networking night

Before the conference day, there’s a Networking Night on Thursday 30 July at The Howling Moon, sponsored by Parker Coles Curtis.

And while “networking” can conjure visions of warm white wine, lanyards and people asking what you do before they’ve even said hello properly, this is a little different. It’s the chance to meet the people you’ll be sitting beside the next day and arrive already a little less cold.

Also: rooftop. Canberra winter. City lights. Not a terrible start.