Digital Innovation Challenge for Women 2016

The 1st ever “Digital Innovation Challenge for Women 2016” in Bangladesh and even in South Asia organized by Women In Digital in collaboration with the United International University.
Digital Innovation Challenge for women supports vision of a connected world by recognizing those who are working to make the Digital world more relevant to women in Bangladesh. The sole purpose of the “Digital Innovation Challenge for Women 2016” is to create an interest in technology among the women in Bangladesh. We have arranged this type of competition for the first time in Bangladesh to encourage women to come into the tech world and motivate them for the future. A total of 248 women participated from all over Bangladesh, representing 49 different projects. The event lasted one and half months – it started on January 28th, 2016 and finished on March 8th, 2016, on International Women’s Day.
During the initial phase, 32 teams among the 49 teams had been pre-selected. The first presentation for these teams was held on 20th February. The teams were assigned with different local mentors for proper supervision in order to develop their ideas into a working prototype with a full proof business plan. The ideas included solving issues in fields like medical, security, traffic education, etc. Later, 21 teams have been shortlisted for the second phase and their presentation was held on February 27th. Finally, 13 of the teams continued into the finals and all of them had their presentation done on 5th March. On the final day of the event, March 8th, the top three teams were awarded. But every participant facilitated from the event.
Through this initiative, the organizers are hopeful to create a new bunch of female leaders and entrepreneurs with skills that are necessary for the girls to pitch their own business ideas in the future: create teams and also develop any solution from scratch which covers everything from planning to execution of the solution in terms of technological development, business development and marketing and sales. The organizers also hope to increase the morale and confidence among the participants to tackle any problems in the society through technological means.
Obaidul Quader, MP and Minister for Road Transport and Bridges, was present at the occasion as the chief guest. Among the special guests were BASIS President Shamim Ahsan, Selima Ahmad, President of the Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BWCCI), Dr. Yasmin Huq of the Department of Physics at Shahjalal University of Science & Technology, Sukamal Sinha Chowdhury, SME Faculty Consultant of Bangladesh Bank and BIBM, Fahim Mashroor, CEO of BDjobs, Prof Dr M Rezwan Khan, vice chancellor of UIU , Abul Khair Patowary, chief adviser of Women in Digital and Achia Khaleda Nila, Founder, Women In Digital.
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