Tech Hackathon – Women and Tech Empowerment Workshop
Sponsorship: The Embassy of Latvia
Hosts: ANU Pacific Institute and Pacific community groups in Canberra

RigaTechGirls Women in Tech Hackathon - Fiji and Australia Edition

The Riga TechGirls Women in Tech Hackathon is an empowering event aimed at boosting the creation of female founded startups in Australia. By bringing together activists, designers, developers and students this hackathon seeks to challenge stereotypes about women’s roles in society and promote development of female-led companies. With Latvia as a model, where women are well represented and engaged in business leadership and female entrepreneurship is steadily growing, Australia can learn from Latvia’s inclusive approach and strong support for women in tech.

Why This Matters: In Pacific, women’s participation in technology and entrepreneurship is still just emerging, with only a small percentage of businesses being female-led. The Fiji Islands Business Development Model emphasizes the need for increased women’s participation in technology to drive innovation and economic growth. In Australia, women comprise about 34% of the overall tech workforce, but only 22% of startup founders are women. In recent years, Latvia has seen a steady increase in female tech entrepreneurs, driven by strong women-led community and collaborative startup ecosystems, as well as support from local authorities and government institutions. Fiji and Australia can adopt some of these strategies to enhance their own entrepreneurial landscapes.

Hackathon Goals:

Promote Female Entrepreneurship: Increase the visibility and success of female-led startups in Australia.
Break Stereotypes: Challenge societal norms and stereotypes that limit women’s participation in technology and entrepreneurship.
Encourage Technological Development: Support the growth of tech-driven companies founded by women.
Facilitate Collaboration: Create an inclusive environment where diverse teams, including at least one female founder, can collaborate and innovate.
Launch an Acceleration Program: Develop an inclusive acceleration program to support diverse teams in bringing their ideas to market.

Workshops:

Design Thinking: Learn the process of user-centric design to innovate effectively.
Prototyping and MVP Development: Develop prototypes and Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) for testing and iteration.
Pitching: Master the art of presenting ideas to potential investors and stakeholders.

Who Should Attend:

Business Developers: Women looking to enhance their business acumen.
Design Enthusiasts: Women interested in improving their design skills.
Developers: Women eager to engage with new projects and ideas in technology.