The WOW Foundation is a registered charity created by Jude Kelly CBE in 2018 to run the global movement WOW - Women of the World Festivals; the biggest, most comprehensive and significant festival dedicated to presenting work by women and promoting equality for women and girls. The Festivals began in the UK in 2010, launched by Kelly at Southbank Centre London, where she was Artistic Director, to celebrate women and girls, taking a frank look at what prevents them from achieving their potential, raising awareness globally of the issues they face, and discussing solutions together. To date, WOW has reached over two million people in 17 countries on six continents, in locations including Australia, Brazil, China, Egypt, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Somaliland, the UK and the USA. In 2018 WOW was in Rio de Janeiro, Cardiff, Bradford, Brisbane, Baltimore, London, Exeter, Norwich, Perth, Beijing, Ghana and Nigeria. Over the last nine years the Festivals have developed a reputation as a space for world renowned artists, activists, thinkers and performers including Angela Davis, Malala Yousafzai, Annie Lennox, Patrick Stewart, Baroness Doreen Lawrence and Salma Hayek, to come and participate, alongside thousands of women and girls who don’t have public profiles but are doing amazing things. In 2018 Kelly left the Southbank Centre to run The WOW Foundation full time working to build, convene and sustain a global movement that believes a gender equal world is possible and desirable through festivals and empowering women and girls. The WOW foundation continues to develop fun and inspiring global festivals, as well as providing numerous pathways throughout the year for participants to take part in WOW projects, amplify their own causes, or start new initiatives which have wide impact on communities. The President of WOW - Women of the World is HRH The Duchess of Cornwall
