THE QUEEN WILL HOST AN ‘INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY’ RECEPTION AT BUCKINGHAM PALACE
Wednesday 8th March 2023
Her Majesty The Queen, President, Women of the World Festival (WOW) will host inspiring women from across society, including entrepreneurs, entertainers, athletes, authors, journalists and public servants at Buckingham Palace to celebrate International Women’s Day.
The Queen became President of Women of the World Festival (WOW), while Duchess of Cornwall. The festival celebrates women and girls around the world and raises awareness of the issues they face. Her Majesty has taken part in WOW’s events in Australia, America, New Zealand, West Africa and Jordan, as well as in the UK.
At Buckingham Palace, Her Majesty and her guests will celebrate the achievements and impact of women in a wide range of fields. At the close of the reception, Her Majesty will join the guests for a group photograph.
The former Duchess of Cornwall became President of WOW in 2015, having been involved with the organisation since 2010. The then Duchess launched WOW Australia in Sydney in 2012 and WOW Washington in America in 2015, and has taken part in WOW events in New Zealand (2019), West Africa (2018) and Jordan (November 2021). In October 2021 Her Majesty also delivered a speech at the ‘Shameless! Festival’ in London, a collaboration between Women of the World and Birkbeck’s SHaME project. As Duchess of Cornwall, Her Majesty marked International Women’s Day as President of WOW with a reception held at Clarence House.
The WOW Festivals began in the UK in 2010 at the Southbank Centre London, for women and girls and non-binary people, 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 5 million people in 30 locations on six continents, in countries including Australia, Brazil, China, Egypt, Finland, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Somaliland, the UK and the USA.
This year’s Women of the World Festival at the Southbank Centre will focus on developing solutions for the pressing issues of gender inequality, climate change, poverty, reproductive rights to mental health. The festival’s events will include discussions on violence against women, misogyny online, addiction and recovery, body positivity, childcare, the cost of living crisis and more.
