The Women of the World (WOW) Festival is a festival for everyone that celebrates women and girls, started in 2010 by Southbank Centre Artistic Director Jude Kelly. The WOW Festival ever since has grown immensely with 20 festivals across five continents with over one million women and girls, men and boys taking part.
In May 2016 the WOW Festival came to Pakistan, with Karachi becoming the first South Asian country to host a full scale WOW event. The event was organized by the British Council and six local organizations in partnership with the Southbank, bringing in women from all over Pakistan together to discuss significant issues facing women today, celebrate their achievements and amplify Pakistani voices.
This year again, British Council has brought back the WOW Festival to Karachi that kicked off on the 2nd of December 2018 at the Alliance Francaise. It is a two day event that focuses on the socioeconomic challenges faced by women today.
Read: Citibank Celebrates A Year of its Urban Youth Program in Pakistan
The partners for the event include: TAF Foundation, LOREAL, Standard Chartered Bank, Engro, Alternative Marketing Concepts, Entrepreneurship and Community Development Institute, IBA, Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research, Salt Arts, Saturday Studio, Alliance Française de Karachi, Careem, and FM91.
Some areas of discussion at the festival include women in science and technology, gender equality, violence against marginalized communities, emotional well-being, and socially conscious raising children.
Covering all aspects, the event also includes musical performances, dramatic readings, panel discussions, inspirational talks, workshops, a space for young children and a market place for the young and bold.
Some of the organizations taking part in the WOW Karachi 2017 Festival are: Plan Tabeer, Sheops, Secret Closet.pk, IBA Social Sciences Club, NOWPDP, etc.
