KATHMANDU, JULY 12
Nepal's largest all-female hackathon, organized by Shequal Foundation in partnership with the EU-UN Empowered Women Prosperous Nepal (EWPN) programme, concluded successfully in Kathmandu on Friday.
Held over three days, the event united 48 women participants from 16 teams nationwide to develop innovative tech solutions addressing pressing social and economic challenges faced by women.
The hackathon, themed "Hacking for Empowered Women," focused on critical issues including unpaid care work, access to financial services, digital literacy, and gender-responsive health. Over July 9-10, teams engaged in intensive coding, mentorship, and problem-solving supported by 20 expert mentors and industry leaders.
The competition culminated with six finalist teams pitching their projects to a distinguished panel of judges from government, development agencies, and the private sector. The winning teams are:
Winner: SewaDit (Butwal)
Developed a digital platform that tracks unpaid care work via task-based points and monthly reports, aiming to make invisible labor visible and economically recognized.
First Runner-Up: Healing Hands (Jhapa)
Created "Care Bridge," a web platform connecting female caregiving students with care recipients, offering verifiable experience and community support.
Second Runner-Up: June (Kathmandu)
Developed "HeritEdge," a gamified cultural storytelling platform using AR and AI to promote heritage and empower local artists.
The solutions addressed real-world challenges such as caregiving gaps, female employment, digital finance, healthcare access, digital inclusion, e-commerce accessibility, and cultural preservation.
During the event Veronique Lorenzo, Ambassador of the European Union to Nepal, said, "Digital innovation is vital for economic growth, especially for women's empowerment. This hackathon creates opportunities for women across Nepal to design solutions rooted in their lived experiences, addressing gender disparities and driving social transformation."
Patricia Fernandez-Pacheco, Country Representative, UN Women Nepal, added, "When women design the future, the future becomes more equal, creative, and powerful for all. This Hackathon is not just about technology, it's about rewriting the rules, closing the gender digital divide, and ensuring every girl and woman has a voice in shaping tomorrow."
Melisha Ghimire & Astha Sharma, Co-Managing Directors, Shequal Foundation, highlighted, "This hackathon is more than a competition; it's a movement. A movement to place young women at the center of innovation, leadership, and impact. We're not just building tech solutions; we're building belief, visibility, and power."
The hackathon was preceded by a series of events including IDEATHON 2025 and a Human-Centered Design Workshop, engaging over 1,000 young women.
The initiative aims to build inclusive digital ecosystems where women lead, innovate, and thrive.
