Six years of WOW Festival in Pakistan

Since 2016, British Council has partnered with the Southbank Centre and later, with the WOW Foundation to deliver WOW festivals and activities across Pakistan and other parts of South Asia

Across the globe

In March 2022, events to celebrate International Women’s Day through WOW Festivals are taking place across the world. Apart from Pakistan, there will be festivals in the UK, New York, Nepal, Turkey, Bangladesh, Taiwan and Western Australia.

The WOW Festival will be held for the fifth time in Pakistan on the 5th and 6th of March 2022, organized by the British Council in partnership with the WOW Foundation and Curators for WOW in Pakistan – Entrepreneurship and Community Development Institute (ECDI) and Olomopolo Media.

About Rani

Rani whether she is formally crowned, dethroned or in power, she is a leader. She’s a rebel, a recluse, a reformer, a revolutionary. She is reckless in love and life but sometimes voiceless and invisible. Rani is equal parts revolt and romance. The WOW festival features conversations critical to our future so that women and girls are not left behind while also celebrating their achievements and all the incredible things they have done.

Interactive activities

The digital medium is envisioned as a reclaiming of space from ‘big broadcasting’ and a return to a more democratic dissemination of ideas. Interactivity is addressed by including activities like a digital art exhibition and a blog with reading lists and song selections to ensure people are not just consumers of content but actively engage with it.

The Rani is an exploration of

Reclaiming our heritage and power as well as reframing conversations around victimhood and power. We look at taking ownership of conversations, spaces and movements for change. While gender-based violence continues to be a global challenges and equal playing fields are still far off dreams, WOW Pakistan hopes to create a lens shift from victim-blaming to social change and strengthen institutions and individuals that are leading the transformation.