GOPIO Gold Coast celebrated International Women’s Day 2026 with a wonderful High Tea on 8 March at the Sharks Event Centre in Southport, bringing together women and girls from different walks of life to connect, celebrate and empower one another. The event was sponsored by Bendigo Bank (Paradise Point, Pimpama and Ormeau branches) and Royal Finance.
A key highlight of the afternoon was the inspiring address by Councillor Shelly Curtis, who shared her experiences in line with the theme “Give to Gain”, encouraging women to support and uplift each other.
The event was beautifully hosted by the talented emcee Rashi Khosla, who kept the audience engaged throughout the programme. Guests enjoyed captivating cultural performances, including a graceful Kathak dance by Navdha Kumar and Jahnavi Raniga from the Nritya Bharati School of Kathak Dance, followed by a beautiful semi-classical dance performance by Deepu Bgowda.
For the first time, the celebration also included young women, with youth speaker Abhilasha Sarmah delivering an inspiring message about empowering young girls to grow into confident and strong women. Namita Bansal spoke about mentorship and empowerment, while Prof. Geeta Mishra AO shared valuable insights into women’s and girls’ health.
The event concluded on a joyful note with Bollywood dance moves taught by Ashita and melodious songs performed by Sonalisa, followed by a delicious high tea enjoyed by all.
The afternoon was a meaningful and memorable celebration of unity, inspiration and the true spirit of International Women’s Day.
Our sincere thanks go to our sponsors, without whom the event would not have been possible: Bendigo Bank (Paradise Point, Pimpama and Ormeau branches), Royal Finance (Mandeep Dhillon), Gaura Travels, Doctors @ Ormeau Town Centre and Must Homes.
The GOPIO Gold Coast executive team — Manish Saini (President), Dr Malabika Sarma (Vice President), Pushpinder Oberoi, Namita Bansal, Rita Rao, Kanwal, Jessy and Simar — worked together to make this event memorable.
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