Staff reporter, Dhaka: Strategic partners British Council, CCD Bangladesh and Mongol Deep Foundation will be organising a two-day long Bangladesh’s first ever online festival focusing on women and girls named ‘WOW Virtual Bangladesh’ from 29 at,9pm, says a press release.
The festival aims to celebrate women and girl’s voices across the country, living in or beyond the margins of society and will feature counter narratives of women who do not belong to the majority or mainstream but venture out in paths less travelled and succeed in paving new ways for gender equality.
Founded by Jude Kelly CBE, WOW – Women of the World is an international festival that celebrates the achievements of women, girls and non-binary people and looks at some of the obstacles they face across the world.
WOW Chapters are divisional community events in Bangladesh which provide a platform to celebrate women and girls and explore the obstacles which prevent them from achieving their full potential.
WOW Chapters were previously hosted in Chattogram, Khulna, Rajshahi, Rangpur and Sylhet between 2017-2018. In response to the pandemic, this year WOW Chapters will go online through WOW Virtual Bangladesh and expand to represent women’s voices from more divisional cities like Barishal and Mymensingh along with Chattogram, Khulna, Rajshahi, Rangpur and Sylhet.
WOW Virtual Bangladesh is a free online festival open for all. Easily accessible online, the festival will be premiering LIVE on 29 and 30 July at 9pm through British Council Bangladesh, CCD Bangladesh and Mongol Deep Foundation’s Facebook pages, as well as broadcast LIVE through Radio Shadhin 99.4 FM and Radio Padma News 99.2 FM and streamed live through their Facebook pages.
The online events will feature different WOW Bites, where women’s unheard challenges will be brought to focus, highlighting their achievements. Through their counter narratives, the stories will reflect on barriers faced and overcome by marginalised communities every day.
The festival will also feature an online WOW Marketplace, where women business owners share their experiences of running businesses online during the pandemic, products highlighting divisional specialties and their hopes going forward. As part of the festivities, there will be fun and meaningful Pop-up Performances with music, dance, poetry and drama, energizing audiences and inspiring along the way.
“The impact of these counter narratives is to empower and give agency to different communities, giving a space to individuals to choose their own words and tell their own stories. Women all over Bangladesh are making strides, and platforms like WOW will encourage them further,” said Sara Zaker, Founder and Chairperson, Mongol Deep Foundation.
