A one-time leader of the Black Panther Party for Self-Defense will headline next month’s Women of the World Festival at Footscray.
Prison activist and rights campaigner Elaine Brown will join more than 80 international and local activists, writers, artists and educators at Footscray Community Arts Centre for the three-day festival.
WOW Melbourne (March 23-25) will feature conversations, music, film and performances celebrating women’s achievements and exploring ongoing challenges around gender equality.
International speakers Mahogany Brown, Jude Kelly, Sadaf Saaz and Mallika Taneja will join local women Paola Balla, Tania Cañas, Margaret Harvey, Maria Katsonis and Zenith Virago in conversations ranging from women in political leadership to asylum advocacy, mental health and climate justice.
A free finale concert will feature Sampa the Great, Mojo Juju, DJ MzRizk & Thando, Electric Fields, Sugar Fed Leopards and Black Sistaz.
Footscray Community Arts Centre director Jade Lillie said WOW Melbourne comes at a critical time for feminism worldwide.
“It is not only about being a woman, it is about exploring who we are as allies, as change makers, to grow our future and prioritise important issues that affect women, individually, collectively and globally,” she said.
Program: www.footscrayarts.com
