WOW – Women of the World festival 2018 returns to the Southbank Centre in London to celebrate the advances made in women’s rights and their achievements. It will also explore the challenges women still face today and will carry on doing so in the future.
The world is witnessing a historical time for women. Not only is the UK celebrating 100 years since women were given the vote – with movements such as #MeToo and Time’s Up women are increasingly standing up for themselves and condemning discrimination.
Jude Kelly, Artistic Director of the Southbank Centre and Founder of WOW festival, said: “There has never been a more timely need for our WOW festival, an unsparing but lively public examination of the untapped potential of women and girls and how we can fulfil it, buoyed by a riotous celebration of what we are and how far we’ve come”.
Yes, women have come a long way in the last century but “so much has remained unjust, cruel even, and it is that that we must address”, added Kelly.
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, author of We Should All Be Feminists, Laura Bates of Everyday Sexism, Patrisse Khan-Cullors, co-founder of Black Lives Matter, and Dr Helen Pankhurst, great-granddaughter of suffragette leader Emmeline, will all feature at the festival.
This year’s WOW – Women of the World festival will include over 200 talks and debates and workshops on a wide range of subjects such as the position of women in society, women’s efforts to bring about positive change and whether women dream about a different future for themselves, amongst other issues affecting women. Concerts and performances will also be part of the five-day event.
WOW founder Jude Kelly has announced she will be leaving her current position later in the year to attempt to internationalise the WOW festival. The celebration of the power of women’s voices is the largest festival of its kind with around 480,000 visitors last year.
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– Naomi Round
