WOW Kathmandu evaluation report WOW KATHMANDU · WOW Kathmandu evaluation report 6,000 49,000 Posters, leaflets and display boards Facebook event page 293,553 5,160,000 Media coverage

WOW Kathmandu evaluation report

WOW KATHMANDUEvaluation report


WOW – Women of the World is a major global festival that celebrates the achievements of women and girls and looks at the barriers they face.

The festival was launched in 2010 by Jude Kelly, Artistic Director of the Southbank Centre, to mark the centenary of International Women’s Day. The festival now takes place in cities across the world and allows hundreds of women’s stories to be shared and successes celebrated, providing inspiration and tools for change to women and girls everywhere. WOW Kathmandu was a partnership between the British Council and the Southbank Centre.

The project started with a series of ‘Thinkin’ sessions in Dhaka, Delhi, Karachi, Kathmandu, Colombo and Kabul which generated ideas for the festival. WOW Kathmandu took place as a one-day festival on 18 February 2017 and was free to attend. It brought together exceptional and inspiring women from across South Asia and provided a platform for their stories, offering a space to share the achievements of women and look at the significant challenges still faced by women in achieving equality.

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Curators

Eleven11 Fair Trade Group, Nepal Hamro Chahana Nepal

Nepal Administrative Staff CollegeSouthbank Centre

Institute of Professional Development

The festival programme was put together with a number of curators:

Festival partner: Venue partner:

* independant curator

Malvika Subba*

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Performances

Performances including music,

circus performances, dance, street art and illustration.

Marketplace

Sharing services and information from across

South Asia.

Highlights

Including some of the most inspiring women in the world: Negin Khpalwak, the first female conductor from Afghanistan, Jayanthi Kuru-Utumpala, the first Sri Lankan to

climb Everest, Nidhi Goyal, gender and disability rights activist from India, Ambassador Nasim Ferdous from Bangladesh and Jehan Ara, tech entrepreneur from Pakistan.

Talks and discussion

panels

Short stories on a wide range of subjects ranging from how to break down stereotypes,

stunt bike riding, life as a single mother, filmmaking and climbing Everest.

Bites

Fast-paced mentoring sessions for young women

with other women from a range of backgrounds.

Speed mentoring

Workshops covering subjects such as start-ups, body image and movement therapy and an under-tens’s feminist corner.

Sessions held in English and Nepali

Workshops

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Audience satisfactionAttendees at WOW were asked to complete an evaluation survey to provide feedback for future WOW events. For all attendees it was the first time they had attended a WOW event.

The evaluation also asked for views on the different elements of the event. The figures here show the percentage of attendees who either appreciated

or really appreciated each strand of the event.

Attendees that either

appreciated or really

appreciated

Panel 97.5%

Speed mentoring 98.5%

Marketplace 96.5%

Workshop 100%

Bites 96.5%

Performances 97.5%

53% of attendees made new connections at WOW Kathmandu

90 per cent

of attendees rated WOW as good 90

per cent

of attendees would encourage others to attend

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6,000

49,000

Posters, leaflets and display boards

Facebook event page

293,5535,160,000

Media coverageInterviews, features and news

reports in local media including The Himalayan Times Daily, Republica Daily,

Nagarik Daily and Nepali Times weekly.

FlashmobSmall Steps for Change, an all girls hiphop group,

performed at five different locations to promote the event, reaching 1,000–1,500 people each time.

AttendeesIncluding women, men and children of all agesInstagram and Twitter

7,500

Paid advertisements

6,100,000

141,336

British Council website

169,000

822,037

Total reach 13,713,068

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We are stronger together and WOW showed us this. (Female, 31 years old)

I learned that not only in Nepal but also in all other countries of South Asia females are in miserable situation. They are given less opportunities to choose what they want to be or to do. (Male, 29 years old)

The focus on storytelling at WOW helped to create awareness of the struggles and successes women and girls have experienced.

Women and girls are role models

I can learn about women and girls by listening to their stories

It is more difficult to be a women or a girl in Nepal than in other countries

+27% +25%

Both men and women felt empowered after attending WOW Kathmandu.

I can voice my individual opinion in publica

I am free to make my own choices and decisions

Through my employment, I can advance women and girls’ rights in Nepal

+24% +11% +10%

Responses from both male and female attendees showed that thinking has become more open towards women and girls and there were significant increases in positive responses to the role, opportunity, value and rights of women and girls, showing that perceptions have been challenged and attitudes shifted.

Women and girls are weaker than men and boys

A woman’s job is primarily domestic

All individuals regardless of gender have the right to study

-26% -12% +7%

-35%

The survey also found that WOW Kathmandu succeeded in connecting women across South Asia region. By sharing stories from countries outside Nepal, attendees reported higher awareness of struggles which all women in the region face:

Measuring the impact of WOWA survey of audience members before and after the festival showed that WOW Kathmandu had a positive impact on attendees.

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Feedback from attendees at WOW Kathmandu showed that people intended to adapt their behaviour following the festival:

What will people do differently?

I have decided to live my life not for the society, but for myself.

Develop self-confidence and esteem – ‘If they can, I definitely can’.

Love every human being equally.

I would like to live life more boldly and with an open mind.

I would never hesitate to do anything that society thinks is not a womanly thing to do.

I will try to change the perception in my Madhesi community.

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BBC Media Action is a non-governmental organisation which trains journalists in Nepal. They gave the following feedback:

Congratulations for successfully organising such a wonderful event in Kathmandu. Our team enjoyed the day and we got a good chance to interact with our wider audience. We have names and contacts of around 200 people who said they are interested to be studio audience in future episodes of Sajha Sawal [a major BBC Media Action programme in Nepal which reaches six million people]. We shared our presence in WOW Kathmandu on our Facebook page which reached to 86,611 people. The sessions were interesting and panel were selected carefully. I talked to some women who shared so many inspiring stories, I hope to feature some of them in Sajha Sawal in coming days.

Case study from a stall holder:BBC Media Action

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We live in a society where voices of women are suppressed in the name of culture and tradition therefore, we need events like WOW for them to be able to express their stories and experiences.It was an amazing and very professional experience with the British Council and team. Everything regarding the event was very well organised and pre-planned which helped us curators to work smoothly as well. I feel very empowered personally after being involved in WOW. In every little aspect of my life I try to empower another woman in every little way. Professionally it was an amazing experience to be associated with the British Council and we are now getting the opportunity to participate and speak in WOW London.I totally learned and experienced how good communication can make a big event possible. Working in a team can lead to many new ideas and events like WOW.

Partner feedback:Institute for Professional Development

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Partner feedback:Eleven 11

We have our triumphs and we have our struggles, and we deserve equal opportunity and access to education, health, workspace and policymaking. We need platforms to tell and share our stories. WOW has provided that stage for women of every walk in various countries, to learn and understand that our stories are in different languages but telling the same thing.

WOW Kathmandu evaluation report 11


Conclusions and recommendations

More planning time should be allowed to arrange these events.

More men could be included in the discussions.

Great, diverse Thinkins make the best WOW festivals, energy and ideas. There could well be a series of Thinkins with different participants and geographical areas.

Try to ensure women from rural areas are involved so that the entire country is represented. Outreach in terms of the programme is important but equally so in terms of the audience that you want to be there. Work with partner organisations in the marketplace or speaking on panels to ensure that a wide range of people hear about the festival. Encourage people to attend by subsidising transport.

Convene weekly meetings for curating team and encourage constructive criticism.

The curating team need to have the skills, energy and motivation to do this project. Keep in mind that a lot of work is required and that they should be committed to attending weekly meetings.

The festival or complementary platforms should be held on a regular basis because attendees felt empowered and had confidence to speak out.

Some of the performances were quite long which meant that people couldn’t attend other events.

Ensure that the space is accessible and safe. That includes everything from ramps to gender separate restrooms to child protection measurements.

Volunteers need adequate briefing with clear roles and responsibilities to ensure they help the event run smoothly. Get the volunteers involved early and engage them more fully in the WOW programme perhaps through the WOWsers programme.

The venue partner should be closely managed to ensure the logistics are all in place for the smooth running of the event.

Consideration should be given as to how the new ideas and innovation which come out of WOW can be acted upon to create real sustainable change for women and girls.

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‘You don’t always need tangible resources to do something meaningful; you just need wholehearted belief in what you’re doing, and a group of people willing to realise that vision. WOW Kathmandu was made possible, and magical, by the fantastic team at the British Council, Nepal and a curatorial body of local organisations that worked tirelessly to ensure that everything was flawless: from training the speakers and reaching out to the communities to keeping everything holistic, accessible and inclusive.WOW Kathmandu was a sensory delight, brimming with a joie de vivre and filling everyone with love, hope and inspiration. At no point did anything feel overwhelming, the event flowing together seamlessly, almost sensuously, giving ample time to experience, take part and contemplate. It left you, or you left it with a sense of accomplishment and pride in being a woman, knowing a woman and having the power to nurture a woman. More power to the people of WOW’.Sara Nisar, Curator at WOW Karachi and attendee of WOW Kathmandu

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Documents

WOW Kathmandu evaluation report WOW KATHMANDU · WOW Kathmandu evaluation report 6,000 49,000 Posters, leaflets and display boards Facebook event page 293,553 5,160,000 Media coverage