International Women's Day: Balancing the Scales
HYBRID - FACE TO FACE EVENT OPTION
6:30pm-7:00pm – networking with light catering7:00pm-9:00pm – presentations
This event is also available as an online event
The Victorian Branch Council invites you to celebrate International Women's Day with an evening of inspiring presentations. Our speakers will share their experiences and achievements.
The evening is a chance to connect with like-minded professionals, explore ways to create a more inclusive and equitable future, and gain practical strategies to support all women in the workplace.
Whether you're a new graduate, an experienced professional, a leader in the profession or someone passionate about women's empowerment and equity, this event offers a valuable opportunity to learn, connect, and be inspired.
All genders are welcome.
Light refreshments will be provided
Presenters:
Jennifer Callaghan FACP
Jennifer's presentation draws on her research and professional experience to explore the regulatory framework governing physiotherapists' return to practice after maternity and other leave. She reflects on her career journey and personal experience of returning from maternity leave, outlines how the current framework operates, examines its impact on safe practice and gender equity, and considers the implications for physiotherapists, employers, and the wider profession before proposing practical solutions.
Jennifer is a Specialist Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist (as awarded by the Australian College of Physiotherapists in 2025) and Fellow of the Australian College of Physiotherapists. Jennifer has extensive experience as both clinician and educator across hospital, university and private sectors. She has a private practice in Camberwell, Melbourne, and is the director of Australian Physio Mentoring – a company which provides mentoring and personalised professional development to physiotherapists and private practices.
Judy Cheng
She is currently Team Leader in the Child and Family Team at Access Health and Community and also works part-time in private practice through Strive and Thrive Physiotherapy, primarily in paediatrics and disability care.
Judy spent 10 years working in the UK in neurological rehabilitation and community-based rehabilitation before returning to Australia, where she continued to build a career while balancing the evolving demands of parenting, caring responsibilities, and professional development. Throughout her career she has worked across public health, community health, private practice, and rehabilitation settings, adapting her work across different life stages and areas of practice.
She graduated from the Lincoln School of Health Sciences at La Trobe University and has a particular interest in sustainable careers in healthcare, flexibility in the physiotherapy profession, and supporting children and families within community settings.
Outside of work, Judy is a mother of two adult children and brings both professional and lived experience to conversations around balancing career, family, caregiving, and leadership over the course of a long healthcare career.
Sallie Cowan
Dr Sallie Cowan is a musculoskeletal physiotherapist, researcher, clinician and entrepreneur with over 30 years' experience across musculoskeletal physiotherapy, small business, and research translation. Her career has included leading clinical services, founding and scaling allied health practices, and holding senior academic and executive roles, whilst juggling a busy family life. She now provides strategic and operational leadership for the HERknee NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence and HERsport initiatives at the La Trobe Sport and Exercise Medicine Research Centre, overseeing multidisciplinary programs focused on injury prevention, better outcomes for women and girls, and advancing women in sport and exercise. Sallie continues to consult clinically with people living with persistent knee pain, integrating research into everyday care.
Please note: This face to face event is being held at APA National Office, Camberwell.