International Day of the Girl

On Friday 11 October, girls from high schools across Brisbane and South East Queensland will enjoy the unique experience as a part of the United Nations 'International Day of the Girl Child' celebrations.

Run by the organisers of the WOW (Women of the World) Festivals in Australia 100 girls from years 10 and 11 will participate in the program at Queensland Centre For Performing Arts (QPAC) and on the Wheel of Brisbane at South Bank: Friday October 11th.

Under the United Nations 2019 theme 'GirlForce: Unscripted and Unstoppable', the day will feature inspirational stories and performances from young women and girls who have overcome adversity in their own lives in order to follow their dreams and make a positive impact upon their communities, conversations around what the future looks like in a gender equal world + brainstorming ideas for 2020 International Women's Day events at attendees individual schools.

The highlight of the day will be a speed mentoring session with Brisbane's leading women from business, government, sports, the arts and more and will take place quite literally 'on' the Wheel of Brisbane!

Speakers that girls will get the chance to meet with and hear from include:
• Annie Flamsteed – Founder and CEO of Inspire Sport – a game-changing app that supports young athletes to stay mentally and physically strong in the highly pressured world of sport.
• Mikhara Ramsing who runs social enterprises in the human rights space: Ground Chai, which connects the selling of chai to suicide prevention organisations in rural Australia, and Ethnic LGBT+, a national website providing a safe place for members of the culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) LGBTIQA+ community to share their stories.
• Nicole Gibson – multi award-winning millennial entrepreneur, previously the youngest Commonwealth Commissioner for Health, speaker, transformational facilitator and unifier.
• Lizzie Orley, Broadcaster and host of the Murri Hour on 98.9FM and DC radio, will be their MC for the day.

There will also be a special performance by nationally recognised spoken word poet, playwright, educator and published author – Anisa Nanduala.

'International Day of the Girl' is a taste of what is to come from WOW Australia 2020 which, following the success of last year's event attended by over 5000 people, will be held in Brisbane next year at The Brisbane Powerhouse: 3-5 April.

Global Advisor for the WOW Foundation and Executive Producer of WOW Australia, Cathy Hunt, said "WOW is a global movement supporting women and girls – where they can share their stories, celebrate their extraordinary achievements, and find solutions to the many barriers that still prevent them from realising their full potential. We are delighted to create a special event on this day for girls to share the WOW experience.

International Day of the Girl events take place around the world on this day and our event will be the first WOW event passing the baton on to The WOW Foundation in London to start their event on The London Eye at 3pm AEST".

International Day of the Girl Child
In 2012, the United Nations designated 11 October the International Day of the Girl Child in order to highlight and address the many challenges girls face globally, and to promote girls' empowerment and human rights.

Under the 2019 theme 'GirlForce: Unscripted and Unstoppable', schools involved in this year's Brisbane 'International Day Of The Girl' include Kedron State High School (SHS), St James College, Mabel Park SHS , Kelvin Grove State College, Carinity Education Southside, Mansfield SHS, Brisbane Girls Grammar School, Moreton Bay College, Bray Park SHS and Yeronga SHS.

The Brisbane event is supported by the Queensland State Government (as part of the legacy of the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games), Griffith University, QSuper, The Wheel of Brisbane and QPAC.

The WOW Movement - WOW Australia 2020

2 million people, 56 festivals in 30 countries on five continents and growing…
WOW was started in London in 2010 by the Artistic Director of the Southbank Centre Jude Kelly CBE. It is now an independent Foundation and events have been held in 30 countries across 5 continents. A global force supporting women and girls, action and change, WOW celebrates the achievements of women and girls and takes a frank look at the obstacles that prevent them from reaching their full potential.

5,000 people attended WOW at Festival 2018 in Brisbane over the three day period with over 100 speakers representing local, interstate and women from 23 other Commonwealth Nations from the Pacific to Africa, Asia to Canada. WOW Australia 2020 will be held in Brisbane next year at the Brisbane Powerhouse: 3-5 April.

The producers of this event are Of One Mind. The Patron of WOW in Australia is Dame Quentin Bryce Former Governor-General of Australia. The Duchess of Cornwall is the President of WOW globally.