Women of the World Festival brings community leaders, members together for a day of empowerment

The Women of the World (WOW) Festival took over downtown Baltimore on Saturday, bringing together leaders, community members, and changemakers to celebrate the accomplishments of women while also addressing the challenges they continue to face.

Dominique Dawes, a three-time Olympian and Maryland native, was honored for her remarkable achievements and served as the festival's headliner. During the event, WJZ's Denise Koch had a chance to sit down with Dawes for an insightful conversation.

A Celebration of Achievements and the Pursuit of Solutions Founded by Jude Kelly in the United Kingdom in 2010, the WOW Festival has brought together over five million people across six continents.

"I started it because I was a woman in the arts. I'm a senior woman in the arts," Kelly shared. "And I felt there weren't enough stories being told about the lives of girls and women—stories about our achievements, our successes, the many battles we've faced, and the ones we still face today."

Kelly's vision for the festival is to unite leaders, changemakers, and community members to celebrate women's accomplishments and to work together in finding solutions to tackle ongoing inequities.