About this Event
AI & Society | International Women’s Day 2026
Balance the Scales: Walk, Coffee & Community
Lace up. Show up. Balance the Scales.
This International Women’s Day, AI & Society Brisbane is coming together for a relaxed riverside walk and coffee to mark IWD 2026 and the global #BalanceTheScales campaign.
This is not a race.
There are no pace targets.
You can walk or simply join us for coffee and conversation.
We’ll move together along the Brisbane River — then gather afterwards at Felons Café to connect, reflect, and build community.
Because equality in AI and technology isn’t just about statistics. It’s about who feels welcome in the room. It’s about whose voices shape the systems we all depend on.
⚖️ WHY WE WALK
The #BalanceTheScales promise is simple: every woman and girl — regardless of background or identity — should be safe, heard, and free to shape her own life.
In AI and technology, that promise is still unfolding.
Women represent approximately 22% of AI professionals globally (World Economic Forum, Global Gender Gap Report 2023:https://www.weforum.org/reports/global-gender-gap-report-2023/)
Women hold roughly 13% of executive leadership roles in AI companies (WEF 2023).
Women account for around 20–22% of AI researchers worldwide (UNESCO, 2021)
This IWD, let’s move the needle — together.
🌿 THE WALK
📍 Meet at Felons Café, Howard Smith Wharves
📏 Approx. 4km flat, scenic river route
💸 Free to attend
✨ Walk, jog, or join for coffee only
☕ Coffee & conversation afterwards
No pressure. Just presence.
🗓️ SCHEDULE
6:55am – Arrive & gather outside Felons Café
7:00am – Welcome & warm-up
7:05am – Walk begins
7:50am – Coffee, connection & community
9:00/9:30am – Wrap up
👟 WHO IS THIS FOR?
This event isopen to everyone— women, allies, runners, walkers, techies, non-techies, beginners and veterans alike.
Kids, prams, dogs on leads, and friends welcome.
You don’t need to work in AI to attend.
You just need to care.
🧭 GETTING THERE
- Train:Fortitude Valley Train Station or Brisbane City Train Station (Short walk to HSW)
- Bus:Brisbane CBD (Multiple) or Arrive in the Valley (Brunswick St) (Short walk to HSW)
- Parking Options
- Street Parking:There's usually some parks available along Bowen Terrace, near theBowen Terrace Lookout (take the lift down to HSW)
- HSW Carpark:howardsmithwharves.com/car-park
💼 BAG DROP
If you have a small bag, keep cup for coffee or jumper (no valuables) we can kindly ask the staff at Felons Café to store this away during the walk and collect it afterwards when we return for a coffee & croissant.
📣 SHARE THE MORNING
#BalanceTheScales #IWD2026 #WomenInAI #AIAndSociety #IWD2026Brisbane
📲 QUICK TIPS
Track your walk onStrava– it’s free and fun!
🤝 WANT TO PARTNER? OR HAVE A QUESTION?
If you have a question, or you’d like to speak, sponsor, or collaborate, reach out at [email protected]
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Felons Café, 5 Boundary Street, Brisbane City, Australia
AUD 0.00
