Women of the World Festival Perth

Perth Concert Hall, October 27-29

Female voices have become immensely powerful as a force for positive change worldwide.

Women’s stories of triumph, tragedy, progress or setback are a crucial source of knowledge and events such as WOW (Women of the World) festival allow people from across the globe to connect and come up with new solutions.

WOW – which comes to Scotland for the first time this weekend – celebrates diversity and welcomes everyone to be part of this global movement for change.

Featuring Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s First Minister, as the opening speaker, the event will bring together prominent activists, speakers, businesswomen, artists, broadcasters and campaigners including Kirsty Wark, Halina Rifai, Dr Iris Elliott, Lesley Riddoch, Val Mcdermid and Luisa Omielan.

WOW Perth festival programmer Lou Brodie said: “Over the past months I have met amazing local women from Perth and Kinross and brilliant women from a variety of Scotland’s dynamic communities. The WOW Perth weekend brings all of these women together as we ask ourselves what a gender equal Scotland might look like?

“I hope everyone will jump in and participate; whether it’s taking part in workshops, lending their voice to the many discussions or simply listening, we are encouraging women and men of all ages to come along and be inspired.”

Nicola Sturgeon, who is in conversation with WOW Festival founder Jude Kelly at 7.30pm on October 27th, said events such as WOW are “extremely important”.

“They help to open up the debate about gender parity, how we can accelerate progress, overcome the obstacles and how we can deliver an age of true equality,” says Nicola.

“Achieving this is my priority as First Minister, but it is an important task for all of us. I look forward to an evening of great discussion celebrating and recognising the many achievements of women and girls.”

Other events throughout the weekend include yoga, an under 10s feminist corner, a session on woodcraft and firelighting, life modelling, a dance party, skateboard, BMX and roller-skate demos, poetry, comedy and song.

The hard-hitting subjects to be explored include shame, childlessness, sex, refugees, period poverty, Brexit, mental health and ageing.

Founded by Jude Kelly CBE at Southbank Centre in 2010, WOW is the largest women’s festival movement in the world, taking place across five continents. Funded by Spirit of 2012, the festival is part of the centre’s expansion of its global WOW network of events to create nine new WOWS in five cities across the UK to mark the centenary of female suffrage in 2018.

www.horsecross.co.uk

Picture: Fraser Band. Women gather in Perth to celebrate WOW festival.