Doha – Qatar
Arab girls in Qatar are to be given the chance to prove their digital innovation skills in an exciting competition where the shortlisted projects will represent Qatar in the regional finals in Egypt later this year, as well as present their ideas at QITCOM 2019.
The Ministry of Transport and Communications (MOTC), in collaboration with Arab Women in Computing (ArabWIC), is inviting entries from Qatari and Arab girls in the country aged 15-22 to the ‘Girls Can Innovate’ Hackathon to be held on Saturday 14th – Sunday 15th September from 8am to 6pm at MOTC Digital Incubation Center (DIC)’s Headquarters, Al-Nasr Tower (B), fifth floor.
The competition is aimed at stimulating innovation and creativity in girls to produce digital solutions to problems facing their communities in specific areas. The competition in Qatar will focus on seven categories: Fintech Applications, E-agriculture, E-health and Smart Water Management, Digital Services, Road Safety, and Rural Productivity. By providing the invaluable opportunity of taking part in the Hackathon, MOTC hopes to give girls the possibility of improving their programming and technical skills as well as the ability to work in intense environments, while collaborating with other participants to achieve a common goal.
All shortlisted projects will also be mentored by experts on pitch presentations. The selected participants will be invited to present their projects in front of an eminent panel of VIP judges at QITCOM 2019 to decide on the winners. The winning team will be awarded a prize.
The competition comes as part of the International Girls Day 2019 celebration, an initiative launched by the International Telecoms Union (ITU) in 2011 to enable girls around the world to leverage their interest in ICT and pursue studies and careers in STEM fields.
The Hackathon in Qatar is open to Qatari girls and girls from the Arab region aged 15-22. More details on the event and how to enter can be found here: http://arabgirlscaninnovate.com/