In partnership with the British Council and WOW Pakistan, the Department of English at Lahore College for Women University (LCWU) hosted the WOW 2026 Lahore Capsule on September 16, 2025. The event started with a welcome note by Prof. Dr. Uzma Quraishi, the Vice Chancellor of Lahore College for Women University, emphasizing the strong ties between the British Council, PNCA, and LCWU. It was followed by an introduction to the British Council by their representative Ms Fatima Malik. 
One of the curators of WOW 2026 Lahore Festival, Ms Raabia Qadir, introduced the WOW Pakistan festival, highlighting its mission to celebrate and amplify the voices of women across the country. She emphasized how WOW Pakistan, as part of the global Women of the World (WOW) Festival, serves as a powerful platform for germinating conversations about gender equality, empowerment, and social change.
The event continued with a panel discussion “Where do we go from here: Career Pathways & Journey”. The panel featured Ms. Saira Sofia, Sania Chuhdary, Rabel Hina. It was moderated by Dr Salma Nazar. The panel discussed barriers to women in the workplace and the importance of improving oneself as a student followed by a rapid fire question round at the end.
A parallel workshop on “Feminist Fathers and Patriarchal Mothers- A conversation” was facilitated by Dr Maryam Rab (the British Council representative in the association of commonwealth universities’ advisory group on gender). The workshop provided young women with the tools to communicate confidently, strengthening their voices in both personal and professional contexts. The workshop focused on story telling and story writing. The participants were encouraged to share specific personal experiences that formed their identities.
The event continued with a musical performance by “Laqeer Kay Faqeer”. The band performed a mix of Urdu poetry and their self-written songs.
Dr Amara Khan, Chairperson of the Department of English, delivered the vote of thanks to the British Council and WoW Pakistan for the successful collaboration and emphasized her commitment to fostering future collaborations with them. Dr Khan also appreciated the student body and the hosting team for their operative efforts. The event concluded with the presentation of souvenirs by Prof. Dr. Uzma Quraishi and Dr Amara Khan to the performers, the organizers, and the guests.
