England, led by Heather Knight, enters the competition having advanced to the semifinals in the last two years.
Since the tournament’s inception in 2009, they have only triumphed once, while Australia, the six-time winners, are the reigning champions after their victory in South Africa last year.
This is a quick guide that will tell you all you need to know about the ninth edition of the event and show you how to keep up with the news.
Scotland, who are making their tournament debut, will play Bangladesh at Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, October 3 at 11:00 BST.
The competition runs from October 3 through October 20, with October 17 and 20 serving as the semi-finals.
Almost every day there are matches; on most days there are two games at 11:00 and 15:00.
The championship game will begin at 15:00 on Sunday, October 20 in Dubai.
