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The theme of International Women’s Day 2026, Balance the Scales, was reflected in the stories shared over breakfast at Lions Park on the shores of Lake Forbes.
The Forbes community gathered for the event in support of Little Wings, with the organisation’s CEO Clare Pearson among a group of inspiring speakers.
Little Wings provides free air and ground transport for seriously ill children in regional areas who need to travel to major city hospitals for treatment. Currently, the service supports 25 families from the Forbes area.
Ms Pearson, a qualified psychologist specialising in child and adolescent welfare, told attendees that her career has always centred on supporting children and young people.
It’s taught her to be bold, she said, and to use her voice for the vulnerable.
That advocacy is central to the work of Little Wings, which helps balance the scales by ensuring country families have access to the healthcare their children need.
The organisation relies on a network of volunteers – including pilots and drivers – to transport families to and from medical appointments. Last year alone, Little Wings supported more than 5100 children across regional communities.
“Year on year we see that number increase, year on year we see demand go up, and we want to make sure that we can say yes,” Ms Pearson said.
Being able to continue saying yes takes a whole-of-community effort, she added, from those who fundraise and donate to those who knit teddy bears for young passengers, as well as the volunteers who give their time to transport families.
“All the little things that come together – that’s what makes Little Wings special and that’s what allows Little Wings to soar,” she said.
The need to balance the scales is something Ms Pearson also witnessed during her time as CEO of Project Futures, an organisation that supports victims of human trafficking through safe houses and recovery programs.
Her work took her between Australia and Cambodia and inspired her to write a book, Threads of Hope, celebrating the resilience of survivors of trafficking.
Forbes Shire councillor Jenny Webb introduced a group of local women who also shared their experiences of finding balance and making a difference in their own fields.
Kate Nixon spoke of the importance of connection – to both nature and community. After studying and working in mining and spending time living in the city, she and her husband Luke returned to the Central West to establish their business, Macrocarpa Landscapes.
Her passion for native plants, particularly those endemic to the region, now extends to a new project, Next Gen Nature.
Ms Nixon also spoke about the importance of community support for young families, recalling the difference it made to receive a Nurtured Village hamper when she became a new mum.
Rise Physiotherapy’s Zoe Tyack approached the theme of Balance the Scales through the lens of women’s health.
As a physiotherapist, she said she sees every day how extraordinary women’s bodies are – from babies to grandmothers – but also how important it is that women feel heard and supported when it comes to their health.
“Let’s balance the scales in courtrooms but also in clinics, in schools, in workplaces and in homes,” Ms Tyack said.
“When women are supported – truly supported – communities thrive.”
Kylie Matthews shared her experiences working on remote Northern Territory cattle stations and later as a Qantas flight attendant before returning to the region.
Today she runs a farm and accommodation business while raising four children and teaching pilates and fitness classes.
She reflected on working in both male-dominated and female-dominated workplaces, and the importance of modelling independence, equality and respect for the next generation.
“We are all able to be the woman we want our daughter to be, and surround them with positive role models,” Ms Matthews said.
“If we teach our children that we all have a place on the scales, when things get a little bit lopsided we can readjust, recalibrate and find that equilibrium that we’re looking for.”
