Students, staff and community members gathered at Katoomba High School on Friday to celebrate International Women’s Day at the school’s third annual WomenKIND Breakfast.

Held in Yanguu, the school’s new hall, the event brought together students, families and members of the wider Blue Mountains community for a morning of conversation, connection and reflection.

Women’s health and violence prevention advocate Cherie Brandon from the Blue Mountains Women’s Health and Resource Centre returned as MC, guiding the morning’s discussion.

Keynote speaker Chandu Bickford, an award-winning business and leadership educator, writer and advocate for women’s empowerment, spoke about her life experiences and the importance of supporting women to grow and lead.

Guests also heard from Becky Chatfield, a cultural dancer, artist and Indigenous Engagement Officer at Western Sydney University, who shared her experiences as an Aboriginal woman. Jackie Finlay, lawyer and Deputy Director of Civil Law at Legal Aid NSW, spoke about the importance of financial equality and her hope for meaningful systemic change.

Former Katoomba High School teacher Charmaine Tully also joined the event as a special guest and delivered the Acknowledgement of Country.

Katoomba High School principal Tess Devine said the breakfast had become an important event for the school community.

“It is a great opportunity for our students to hear from women with a wide range of experiences and perspectives,” Ms Devine said.

“The conversations and stories shared on the day were inspiring and it was wonderful to see so many members of our school and local community come together to mark International Women’s Day.”

The event was supported by a large number of students and staff. School prefects hosted the morning, CAPA students opened and closed the event with performances, and TAS teachers and students prepared and served breakfast.

The WomenKIND Breakfast is the first event in the school’s BeKIND series for 2026, with MenKIND and ParentKIND events planned later in the year.