The British Council, in collaboration with the WOW Foundation, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Entrepreneurship and Community Development Institute (ECDI), is set to host WOW Pakistan 2026 to mark ten years of the Women of the World (WOW) Festival in Pakistan.
According to organisers, the two-day festival will be held on January 24 and 25, 2026, at a beachside luxury hotel in Karachi.
The WOW Festival aims to celebrate women’s achievements, promote meaningful dialogue on gender equality and provide an inclusive platform to discuss the social and cultural challenges faced by women. The event will feature a wide range of activities focused on culture, arts, music, conversations and learning for women, girls and families.
British Council Pakistan Country Director James Hampson said the event marks an important milestone as WOW Pakistan completes a decade. He said the festival offers an opportunity to reflect on the journey that began with its first event in Karachi.
WOW Pakistan Chair and Co-Curator Aamna Sheikh Farooqi said WOW Pakistan was founded on a strong belief in the power of women’s voices. She said that when women’s voices are heard without apology, societies begin to change. Over the past ten years, she added, the platform has created spaces where ideas emerged, alliances were formed and progress was made, even during challenging times.
Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the WOW Foundation, Jude Kelly CBE, said that when she established WOW, her vision was for it to take strong root in Pakistan, a country with a rich history of women and girls breaking barriers. She said that after a decade, WOW Pakistan has become a powerful example of creativity, courage and collective action.
She added that the festival is not only a celebration of past achievements but also a renewed commitment to moving forward with greater resolve.
