The Women of the World (WOW) Foundation officially launched today at the WOW London 2019 festival to celebrate International Women’s Day. Founded by Jude Kelly in 2010, the WOW festival grew as a global movement advocating for gender equality, taking place in many locations around the world. Today, Kelly took a big step in announcing the official launch of the WOW Foundation. As a supporter of the festival since 2012, Bloomberg is the first Global Founding Partner of the new organisation.

The WOW Foundation will continue to produce festivals to celebrate women and girls on a global level. To raise awareness, WOW looks at the barriers that women and girls face, shining a light on the inequalities that prevent females from reaching their full potential. The festivals serve as a way to present work by women to combat this gender inequality: ‘The WOW Foundation will work 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.’

Jude Kelly comments, ‘When I founded WOW nine years ago, I had no idea it would take root in six continents, as well as in towns and cities across the UK. Bloomberg believed in Women of the World from the outset, and their commitment to this fundamental human right has been critical to the development of a movement that has now reached 2 million people worldwide.’

‘WOW Festivals are an important space to explore the issues facing women and girls in everyday life; and as we approach our 10^th anniversary I believe now more than ever WOW – Women of the World can continue to affect change in our society,’ Kelly continues. ‘To do this, we must be bold, brave, and unwavering in our fight for equality; and Bloomberg’s role as a Global Founding Partner of the WOW Foundation will enable us to do just that.’

To learn more, visit the WOW Foundation website.