RACS celebrated International Women’s Day with a diverse program of events across Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, reflecting our commitment to advancing equity in healthcare and supporting more women to pursue careers in surgery. 

Bringing together Fellows, Trainees, SIMGs and medical students, each event created a way to celebrate achievements, share experiences, and highlight progress toward gender equity.

In South Australia, an evening gathering featured keynote speaker Dr Rosie Stanimirovic, a high performance psychologist, whose insights into wellbeing, mindset and leadership prompted thoughtful conversations about the realities faced by women in surgery.

Tasmania hosted a breakfast at the Grand Chancellor, supported by long-standing partners including Bongiorno Group and Avant

IWD, Victoria

 IWD, Victoria

Meanwhile, Victoria welcomed attendees to a high tea at Melbourne’s W Hotel. There, Dr Sonja Hood AM, CEO of the Scanlon Foundation and president of the North Melbourne Football Club, joined Dr Kate Duncan, who inspired Trainees and women surgeons with her message of empowerment in the medical profession.

IWD, Western Australia

In Western Australia, a Women in Surgery high tea at the Aurora Rooftop Bar fostered discussion on allyship, shared understanding and collective leadership. 

Queensland brought together surgeons from multiple specialties for an informal networking event at the RACS office in Kangaroo Point.
RACS Aotearoa New Zealand marked International Women’s Day with a breakfast webinar featuring Dr Rachelle Love (Ngāpuhi, Te Arawa), ENT surgeon, and Chair of the Medical Council of New Zealand, interviewed by Dr Jane Strang. Rachelle reflected on her personal path into surgery, the importance of mentorship, and values based leadership. She spoke about Māori representation in surgery, her responsibilities as chair, and the need to develop future leaders. Emphasising constructive feedback and courageous conversations, she encouraged moving beyond concern to influence and action. The discussion highlighted women’s leadership in surgery and healthcare.

A few weeks earlier, the RACS NSW State Committee hosted the 2026 Women in Surgery lunch, celebrating women’s contributions and reinforcing our commitment to strengthening leadership pathways.

RACS’ recent Activities Report shows continued progress: women now outnumber men among successful SET applicants in General and Vascular Surgery. Women make up more than one third of all Trainees; and 29 per cent of Fellows under 44 are women. With a goal of 50 per cent women entering SET by 2027, RACS remains focused on collaboration, leadership and sustained advocacy across the surgical community. 

Find out more about our Women in Surgery initiatives.