The Women's Panorama is intended to provide a real and dynamic space within the Festival for women and their concerns. Just as it is impossible to speak of Dhow culture without acknowledging diversity, it is equally impossible to speak of a culture without recognising the disparities within it. The Women's Panorama becomes essential to the Festival of the Dhow Countries from this perspective. It serves to promote and encourage a broader scope of vision and perception on critical issues, thus enhancing the desired culture of democracy, which underlies the notion of Dhow culture.

The events in this programme therefore, consciously seek to establish the visibility of women in cinema, the arts and in culture. The Women's Panorama aims to foreground the issues and concerns of women, giving agency to women as doers rather than as victims or objects.

As a feature of the Festival shaped by the broad objectives,
the Women's Panorama is part of the initiative

To provide the opportunity for women in Zanzibar to participate before, during and after the annual Festival in arts and cultural activity at the highest level.
To promote a film industry and a cinema culture relevant to women.
To increase an awareness of and sensitivity to gender issues in the region.
To encourage co-operation among women in arts and cinema throughout the region.

The Women's Panorama programme therefore aims:

To give women in Zanzibar the opportunity to watch quality, culturally relevant films and performances.
To provide an opportunity for women to discuss and debate issues of cultural importance and social significance.
To provide women with a forum to exhibit their artistic skills.
To encourage women to develop, improve and acquire new skills in the arts and cinema.

Highlights of this Year’s Panorama include:

Workshops
Documentary Film Making
Batik and Tie-dye
Encouraging local business and development of skills for women communities

Symposium
How Media Helps to Change Women’s Live

Fashion show
Popular fashion design for women, khanga-wear and costume artists

Women’s panorama guests

Salem Mekuria
Film Maker and Director from Ethiopia.
Films presented: Sidet: Forced Exile (1991) Ye Wonz Maibel/Deluge (1997)

Shabana Azmi
Actress, MP and social activist from India, who waged a sit-in with the footpath dwellers to expose their plight.