WOW convenes roundtable discussion on gender based violence
11 Mar 2026
Yesterday, as part of our International Women’s Day activity, WOW brought together a group of leaders from government, business, philanthropy, the arts and the third sector with experts from the both the women and girls and men and boys sectors, for an urgent roundtable discussion to address the epidemic of violence against women and girls and the necessity for a wider public discourse across all genders.
In the UK in 2025, 3000 VAWG crimes were reported each day, with one woman killed by a man every three days and annually one in 12 women experienced violence (Source: The National Police Chief's Council). Over twenty contributors including Nazir Afzal OBE, Chancellor of the University of Manchester, Dr Giovanna Lauro, Deputy CEO of Equimundo and the Honorable Julia Gillard met to discuss how the collective urgency surrounding Gender Based Violence, and the unfolding crisis for both women and girls and boys and men, can be harnessed to create impactful public encounters that widen the discourse and inspire collaborative action.
Hosted by Jude Kelly, WOW’s Founder Director, and WOW’s CEO Colette Bailey, the roundtable drew on research and development undertaken by WOW over a 12 month period exploring the potential of a large-scale international event to support the drive to eradicate Gender Based Violence. Discussions included collective approaches to building pathways between policy and public engagement; greater collaboration between sectors focusing on women and girls and boys and men to accelerate progress; and how arts and culture can be utilised as powerful tools for transformative and impactful change. Insights from the panel were wide ranging, including the need for centring optimism in public interventions, and the pivotal role that culture and the arts can play in narratives by creating physical spaces for people to convene and imagine better futures.
The epidemic of violence against women and girls needs to be addressed by everyone. It's an urgent issue requiring a collective response and greater collaboration across sectors. We are seeing this urgency reflected in policy, but public discussion and discourse need to be widened. Through our festivals and events, WOW creates impactful public spaces where everyone can come together to explore solutions through a lens of optimism and joy. These conversations will sit at the heart of WOW London, which we are delighted to be bringing back to the Southbank Centre in 2027.
Ending violence against women and girls also means engaging men and boys in building healthier models of masculinity. Equimundo’s State of UK Men shows that 91% of men say being a good friend defines what it means to be a man today - highlighting the power of care and connection. Spaces like this roundtable, and cultural platforms like WOW, create powerful public encounters that bring those values to life, and we’re excited to continue that work together at the MenCare Changemaker Summit in Rio de Janeiro in May.
These outcomes will be incorporated into the planning for WOW London 2027, helping to shape and develop two dedicated programming strands within the festival centring on Gender Based Violence - the first is a continuation of WOW’s Shameless! Festival. The second, Boys and Men is part of WOW’s long-term work exploring how to engage men and boys in the gender equality conversation and explore reshaping narratives around masculinity. This work includes the upcoming MenCare Changemaker Summit, which WOW are co-presenting with global gender equality charity Equimundo in Rio de Janeiro in May 2026.