The British Council has awarded thirteen grants under the Women of the World (WOW) Bangladesh 2025–26 programme to support arts-based initiatives promoting gender equality and social change across the country.
The grants will empower three regional WOW chapters and fund ten artist-led commissions addressing gender equity, climate justice, technology, heritage and public space, the British Council said in a press release.
WOW – Women of the World is a global movement that promotes gender equality through arts and culture. In Bangladesh, the initiative began with divisional chapters in 2017 and later organised a national festival in Dhaka in 2019.
The festival was first launched in the United Kingdom in 2010 by founder Jude Kelly, and the British Council has partnered with the WOW Foundation since 2016 to deliver programmes internationally.
For the 2025–26 cycle, the organisers invited proposals through two open calls from artists, cultural practitioners and arts organisations in Bangladesh and the United Kingdom.
Following a competitive selection process, thirteen projects were selected for grants to be developed and implemented throughout the year.
“Congratulations to all the WOW grantees this year, who have demonstrated their dedication and talent in showing how arts, culture and community-led innovation can inspire new ways of thinking about gender equality, climate justice and the futures we want to build together,” said British Council Country Director Bangladesh Stephen Forbes.
“We are delighted to partner with the WOW Foundation to support these artists and arts organisations as they challenge norms, amplify underrepresented voices and open pathways toward a more inclusive, equitable and hopeful future for Bangladesh,” he added.
Among the WOW Bangladesh Chapter projects, Shadhona and Nrittoshilpi Foundation Bangladesh will bring feminist writing to the stage through performance, while COTAKE will implement an ecofeminist initiative linking women’s empowerment with climate resilience, heritage and artificial intelligence.
In Bandarban, Green Milieu will lead a youth-driven celebration of Indigenous creativity under the programme.
Under the WOW Bangladesh Commissions category, artist Alyesha Choudhury will advance community-based climate solutions through her project “Sowing Seeds”.
Other projects include experimental theatre and multimedia initiatives by Spardha Independent Theatre Collective, HerStory Foundation, Palash Bhattacharjee and Saiqa Shabnam Chowdhury focusing on gender, identity and community narratives.
Jennifer Reid will reinterpret the traditional bioscope format through “The Women’s Bioscope”, a project highlighting the voices of displaced women.
NINAD will explore how harassment and silence shape everyday experiences by combining women’s testimonies with reflective perspectives from men.
The Center for Astronomy, Space Science and Astrophysics at Independent University, Bangladesh will lead an eight-month public engagement programme addressing the underrepresentation of women in astronomy through women-led dark-sky observation camps.
Projects by Saiqa Iqbal Meghna and Suvro Sovon Chowdhury will examine gender-inclusive urban spaces, while Sharmillie Rahman will explore evolving identities within digital systems through a curatorial initiative.
The British Council said the projects collectively highlight the role of feminist creativity in addressing contemporary social challenges and encouraging inclusive cultural dialogue in Bangladesh.
