Things to do for International Women's Day in Sydney

We all love a bottomless disco, but combine a bottomless disco with empowering female DJs and helping eradicate period poverty and you have yourself a winner. Enter: Bottomless Disco at Henley’s Bar and Kitchen. On Saturday, March 11, a stellar lineup of all-women DJ talent are set to hit the stage for an afternoon of drinking, dancing and good times. You will be able to get down to Summer Skye, Elishia, Movesamaze, Nikki Carvell and St Croix alongside Bondi Lines from 2pm to 8pm. Punters will get a free drink on arrival, and (better yet) registration is free. Partial proceeds from the bar spend on the day will go towards Share the Dignity – an organisation that aims to eradicate period poverty on the frontline. You can book yourself in right here. Happy disco day, darlings. 

Taking in 15 artworks and murals around the Inner West by women (or featuring women), the self-guided Yeah The Girls walk from Local Sauce Tours is a special tour designed for International Women’s Day. The full walk (4.8 km) starts at Redfern station and takes around two hours (download directions straight to Google Maps or download the map). A shorter route (3.3 km) skips the first three artworks, starting at Newtown Station (download directions). 

A new addition for IWD 2023, ‘Lost Figures’ by Fintan Magee uses the artist's "frosted glass" effect to tell the story of Patyegarang, the woman we have to thank for teaching William Dawes the local language. Together they created what is now considered the first written account of the Sydney Aboriginal language.

On International Women’s Day, you can join the stars of the Sydney Swans AFWL team for an evening of illuminating discussion and delicious complimentary snacks and drinks in the level 1 lounge of the Dolphin Hotel, starting at 6pm. Enjoy a complimentary glass of sparkling rosé on arrival. Sarah Karagolu, Fox Sports producer and host, will moderate a passionate panel of women in the football industry, including players Alana Woodward, Kate Reynolds, Lauren Szigeti and Maddy Collier, plus female managers at the Sydney Swans. They'll discuss equity issues in football and there will also be a Q&A session, followed by networking and music by Ashlea Milinkovic from 7.30pm. It's free, but RSVPs are essential, via events@dolphinhotel.com.au. Find out more about the event here.

The women of Dr Dough Donuts want to celebrate in the sweetest way they know how. A special limited run of IWD doughnuts are available and, frankly, we can't think of a more delicious way to recognise the achievements of the inspiring women in our lives.

On Wednesday, March 8 the Lady Banks Rooftop in Bankstown will be putting on a lunch and a show combo that we reckon ought not to be missed. 

Made just for International Women’s Day, the rooftop bar will be hosting a panel discussion featuring some incredible women who all have something wonderful to say. Moderated by journalist Antoinette Lattouf, the panel will feature the likes of; paralympian Ellie Cole (OAM), the founder of the Lebanese Film Festival, Jessica Zeait, and journalist, speaker and writer Elle Halliwell, whose life changed when, in the space of 48-hours she was diagnosed with a rare blood cancer – and also discovered she was pregnant. These powerhouse women will be talking about all things ‘embracing equity’ through the lens of their own lives and experiences, and everyone's invited. On top of the entertainment, you’ll also get a three-course meal and a complimentary drink on arrival, with a ticket setting you back $99. Everything kicks off at noon. 

Reign at the QVB is throwing a IWD event that's worth raising a glass to – and not just any glass, but a glass of Taittinger or Grower Champagne (with caviar bumps on arrival). It's about giving Champagne lovers a chance to rub shoulders with some of Sydney’s most renowned female sommeliers – Louella Mathews, Bridget Raffal and Georgia Davidson-Brown – who will be discussing the past, present and future of the Australian wine industry.

Once upon a time, the aesthetic of sex toys borrowed heavily from the school of “hella tacky”. Not anymore, partly thanks to some women-run Aussie sexual wellness brands. There's Rosewell, who are all about creating objects of beauty and simplicity. Normal makes them cute and affordable – with a dose of education on the side. While Figr is a natural sexual lubricant created from all-Australian native extracts.

Sex workers have become accustomed to being talked about, not to. Especially in some feminist contexts, where assumptions about the world’s oldest profession and the women who practice it can be divisive to say the least. We've spoken to writer and proudly vocal sex worker Tilly Lawless about why sex work is important to the modern feminist movement, and what the industry is like in Sydney.