KARACHI: The British Council (BC) Pakistan and London’s South bank Centre (LSBC) celebrated Karachi women’s achievements with first Women of the World (WOW) Festival on Sunday. The British Council Pakistan and London’s South bank Centre partnered to host the first Women of the World Festival in Pakistan. The day long festival was held at a local hotel to celebrate the achievements of Pakistan women through a diverse programme of talks, performance, exhibitions and workshop as well as examining obstacles that prevent them from achieving their full potential. According to a statement issued, the festival mobilised women from all over the country alongside politicians, leaders, artists, activists, writers and entrepreneurs to look at the most significant and pressing issues being faced by women today. The speakers including Women’s Action Forum (WAF) Founder Nighat Saeed Khan, politicians and National Assembly members Kishwer Zehra, Mukhtaran Mai Welfare Organisation Founder Mukhtaran Mai, feminist and writer Ghausia Salam, Southbank Centre Artistic Director and WOW Founder Jude Kelly. Alongside talks and panel discussion, audiences were able to engage and participate in interactive sessions including WOW speed mentoring, WOW workshop, WOW market, the feminist under 10 corner for girls and more enabling participants to share their won experiences of battling social barriers and discuss how women leaders are instrumental in inspiring young girls today. Furthermore, the evening featured musical acts from some of the best and up-coming musicians and performers including Karachi’s own Sounds of Kolachi (SOK) and Zeerak Ahmed AKA Slow spin. The statement further pointed out that the British Council Pakistan aims to contribute to the empowerment of women and girls on a year-round basis. British Council Pakistan Programme Director Jim Booth said, “Bringing WOW to Pakistan for the first time is about creating conversations around the role of women and girls in Pakistan in relation to issues such as social inclusion, education and health. Gender equality is very important to British Council’s agenda. Our programmes aim to ensure equal opportunities to women and girls and their equal participation in all spheres of life through WOW, let us work together for a world in which every women and every girl has the opportunity to fulfill her potential and enjoy equal right and status”. London’s South bank Centre Artistic Director Jude Kelly said, “I’m thrilled that we could bring Women of the World Festival to Karachi and provide a space for Pakistani women to discuss the key issues they face today. It proved to be a spirited and far reaching celebration of the achievements of girls and women in South Asia as well as an important platform for discussing the obstacles they face and the ways these can be overcome. WOW Karachi is a powerful addition to an international movement and we hope to build upon its success as we aspire to achieve gender equality across the globe”. Artistic Director Jude Kelly launched the Women of the World Festival at London’s Southbank Centre in 2011. Now a global festival with 15 WOWs across five different continents and one million people involved, it is the largest women’s festival in the world. From WOW Karachi in Pakistan to WOW Baltimore in the USA, communities all over the world are using WOW to talk about and take action on gender equality, the statement added.