Journalist, gender equality advocate Georgie Dent to speak at Women's Assembly at Dubbo

Macquarie Health Collective and The Exchange are combining to host the 2021 Women's Assembly.

The theme for International Women's Day, #ChooseToChallenge, will underpin the day's activities including a panel discussion with local female business founders, a Q&A with the NSW Woman of the Year Nominees and Dent's keynote address.

Dent is a prominent advocate for women's empowerment, gender equality and mental health, and speaks frankly about the relatable events that led to her nervous breakdown and admission into a psychiatric hospital at age 24.

"As a woman with a keen sense of justice and equity, who has experienced first-hand the breakdown of my own well-being in pursuit of perfectionism, and as a mum of three wonderful girls, the struggle of the juggle and the workplace gender divide is something I am very familiar with," she said.

"I dedicate a lot of my time to highlighting the inequalities and breaking down the barriers that are draining Australian women's finances, relationships and mental health.

"So I was thrilled when The Exchange approached me to share my story at their Women's Assembly and meet with an incredible group of regional women who like me are juggling careers, motherhood and gender barriers - and like me are ready for a change."

As partners of The Women's Assembly, Macquarie Health Collective has been enthusiastic in supporting a day that celebrates regional women and encourages them to prioritise their own well-being among the chaos of life.

"Often is the case that women and mothers put their well-being at the end of a very long to-do list, so days like The Women's Assembly remind women, the importance of prioritising their needs and equips them with the tools to succeed in this," Macquarie Health Collective founder Tanya Forster said.

"Success comes in very different forms across professional, study, family and social life for each individual and letting go of 'toxic perfectionism' and a 'trying to do it all' attitude is a good start."

The Exchange community and business development manager Rachel Viant says The Women's Assembly is the perfect opportunity to acknowledge all the incredible women contributing to the success in central-western NSW and is the highlight in The Exchange's activity calendar for the year.

"The Women's Assembly is designed to empower, inspire and celebrate our regional women, and the champions of these women," she said.

"At The Exchange we are so fortunate to have such a strong community of courageous females at the helm of local businesses and community projects, and so we look forward to hosting this Assembly each year, dedicated to these women and honouring these women."

Limited tickets to the event are still available here.

Do you want more Dubbo and regional news? Receive our free newsletters delivered to your inbox, as well as breaking news alerts. Sign up below ...