Announcing our expert panel for our free International Women's Day event on Wednesday 5 March.
We are so excited to share the lineup for our free event in recognition of International Women’s Day 2025, 'March Forward: Engaging the Next Generation.'
Our expert speakers will discuss ideas to bridge the gender gap at the start for kids, creating a positive ripple effect on the health and wellbeing felt across of future generations.
Hosted by Women in Sport Media graduate and Papua New Guinean-Australian professional rugby player Melanie Kawa, we'll explore creative strategies to re-engage and retain girls in sport. Mel is an emerging sports broadcaster, with an extensive knowledge of elite and grassroots sports.
Tune in to hear from 2x time WNBA championship winning coach and Australian Opals head coach Sandy Brondello. Sandy will share her observations on the evolution of basketball’s fan engagement, and how the WNBA and New York Liberty are inspiring the next generation of girls. (We’ll ask her about fan favourite Ellie the Elephant too.)
Dr Catriona Nguyen-Robertson (she/her) is a singing scientist: she sings in the laboratory and contemplates science in the shower. She trained as a biomedical researcher studying the effect of exercise on the immune system.
Catriona is now an enthusiastic science educator at Museums Victoria. She presents shows and workshops to audiences of all ages as a Learning Facilitator at Scienceworks, is heavily involved in the production of the award-winning Science is a Superpower video series, and has written and presented several episodes of The Fact Detectives podcasts as a collaboration between Museums Victoria and Kinderling Kids Radio.
She is an advocate for diversity and inclusion in STEM and regularly engages with science outreach programs, as Victoria’s National Science Week Chair, host of the Science Queeries radio show, Editor of the Science Victoria magazine, and more.
Jasmine is the Vice-President and Head of Soccer at the Darebin Falcons Women’s Sports Club, home to one of Australia’s biggest soccer programs for girls and women. A football advocate for women and experienced sports administrator, she was awarded Victoria’s Australian of the Year Local Hero Award for 2025, in recognition of her work in driving participation for women and girls.
Over the last 15 years, Jasmine has given hundreds of girls and women the opportunity to play soccer. She launched the junior girls’ soccer program with just one team in 2011. In 2024, the club had over 30 junior and senior soccer teams, enabling more than 550 women and girls to play soccer. In 2020, Jasmine launched the young referees program to increase the number of female referees in Victoria and to pay them for their services.
Junior Melo is the Manager of the CMSport program, an initiative of the Centre for Multicultural Youth dedicated to driving social change through sport.
With extensive experience working with young people in diverse settings, including schools, community centres, sports clubs, and youth justice centers in Malmsbury and Parkville, Junior has played a pivotal role in developing and leading social, sports, and educational programs.
Passionate about multicultural inclusion, he has worked closely with culturally diverse communities, including newly arrived refugee and migrant youth across Melbourne. A strong advocate for meaningful community engagement, Junior leverages sport as a powerful tool for social connection and empowerment.
You’ll have an opportunity to ask Sandy and our panelists questions via a live Q&A.
When: Wednesday 5 March
Where: Online (did we mention it’s free)
Time: 11.15am - 12.30pm AEDT
Page last updated: 4 March 2025
We acknowledge the Traditional Aboriginal Owners of Country throughout Victoria and pay our respects to them, their connections to land, sea, and community. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present.
We respect and welcome people of all backgrounds, genders, sexualities, abilities and cultures.