Leading women in medicine speak at the Clifford Craig International Women's Day luncheon

The luncheon recognised the important contributions of Tasmanian women in medicine and celebrated their many achievements in the field.

As part of this year's IWD theme, embracing equality, Launceston General Hospital neurologist Dr Lauren Giles and The Bubble Tasmania founder and director Dr Natasha Vavrek shared their experiences and insights on the opportunities and challenges faced by women in medicine.

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"As a young woman who has gone into medicine, it's not always a straightforward path," Dr Giles said.

"There are certain barriers that many women come across that may prevent them from pursuing a career in STEM or may interrupt their career.

"There are many strengths that women bring to the industry, so having gender diversity in those fields is really worthwhile."

Both doctors proudly advocate for their professions, empowering other women in their fields and the wider community.

"The main challenge I faced during my career was when I was embarking on starting a family," Dr Vavrek said.

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"There were expectations that I would take limited maternity leave and expectations I would return to work almost immediately to attend meetings before my cesarean scar had even healed.

"Unfortunately, my experiences aren't unique. I know many women struggle with the same challenges, so The Bubble aims to change this and how we provide our services to other women in the community."

Women's minister Jo Palmer attended the event, saying IWD is a time to reflect, celebrate, and continue to advance gender equality.

"IWD is a great opportunity for us to celebrate how far society has come regarding gender equality, but it is also a time where we need to acknowledge that there is still more work that needs to be done," Mrs Palmer said.

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