But Minister for Women Joy Burch has defended the decision to call off the event in Canberra's centenary year, despite concerns from the territory's Women's Services Network.

Ms Burch said she had cancelled the ceremony, which would have been held in the lead-up to International Women's Day on Friday, because the Office for Women had been too slow to open nominations for the awards.

The ACT awards mark achievements by women in the Canberra community, and past recipients include magistrate Karen Fryar and Audrey Fagan, who was acknowledged posthumously for her work as the territory's first female chief police officer.

Carol Benda, a member of the Women's Services Network and the Ministerial Advisory Council on Women said some members of the network believed the ceremony should still have gone ahead.

''I think, given it's Canberra's Centenary year, it's a special year, we were quite disappointed by it,'' she said.

''We work our guts out day in day out and it's some kind of chance we get to put our peers forward and acknowledge the work they do.

''We were very disappointed and thought, damn it, this is an important one, but I guess you can't do it all.

''It is my understanding the minister is sorry and is planning something [in its place].''

Ms Burch said the Office for Women informed her in December that there had been delays in opening the nominations for the awards.

If the awards went ahead, advertising of the nomination period would have been during the Christmas and January holiday break and there were concerns insufficient nominations would be received.

''I made the decision then that given we were going into January that it would not be fair and reasonable to go out and open applications, ask for nominations and get assessments in,'' Ms Burch said.

''In talking to a number of the key women's groups we took advantage of this in saying I'll go through my women's advisory council and just review the scope of the women's awards.''

The Minister for Women said the government would present an alternative award to mark International Women's Day and was looking at ways to ''reinvigorate'' the traditional awards ceremony next year.

''In addition, I will also be announcing at the [International Women's Day] breakfast the inaugural Audrey Fagan Violence Prevention Grants Program and opening applications for the annual Women's Grants Program,'' Ms Burch said.

The grants will provide up to $15,000 for projects aimed at reducing violence against women and children.

Ms Burch said the traditional International Women's Day Awards ceremony would ''absolutely'' go ahead next year.