GSMA EQUALS EU Hackathon – Bridging the Financial Literacy Gap

GSMA EQUALS EU Hackathon – Bridging the Financial Literacy Gap

Start: Friday 8 July 2022 09:00

End: Saturday 9 July 2022 18:30

Location: London

Do you want to empower thousands of girls and women with tech solutions enabling them to become digitally and financially literate? Do you want to win the opportunity to be a part of a highly competitive global six-month virtual business development incubation programme and much more? If so, the GSMA EQUALS EU Hackathon is the right event for you!

The GSMA is pleased to host the EQUALS EU Hackathon ‘Bridging the Financial Literacy Gap’, which will take place in London on 8 and 9 July. This event is part of the Equals EU project which aims to find solutions to make the tech and digital fields more inclusive, especially for women. The Hackathon is held in partnership with EY, the Bloomsbury Institute and the Commonwealth Businesswomen Network.

Date: Friday, 8 July 09:00 – 22:00 BST

Date: Saturday, 9 July 09:00 – 18:30 BST

Register Here

What is the Hackathon about?

The goal of the hackathon is for groups to invent and develop an open-source tool, platform or app which enhances financial and digital literacy for women in particular. We are looking for diverse participants that have an insight into or strong interest in the current barriers to financial literacy and the relevance of digital finance for women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). We especially want the hackathon to generate solutions for those markets where mobile money is most prevalent (Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia). Solutions may include simultaneously addressing the lack of both digital and financial literacy amongst women users and non-users of mobile financial services, particularly mobile money.

Accepted applicants will be allocated into groups of four people, with a maximum of four groups altogether taking part (i.e. a total of 16 participants).

Preference will be given to female applicants and those who identify as representatives of vulnerable and minority groups. You can read more about the event here:

Hackathon Overview

 

For build-up, exclusive interviews and live reports on the day tune into Bloomsbury Radio, local radio broadcasting from the heart of Bloomsbury, Central London

Why should you apply to participate in the hackathon?

  • The opportunity to compete for a fully subsidized spot in a three-week professional development bootcamp taking place in 2023 in three countries, including Spain and Switzerland;
  • The opportunity to publicise your solutions (i.e. source code, technical drawings, schematics, and other material repository) under a creative commons attribution license on the EQUALS EU and European Commission’s websites; and
  • Swag from the event host partners and a certificate of completion signed by GSMA and the EQUALS Global Partnership for Gender Equality in the Digital Age.

    The winners will also receive: 
  • Enrolment in a six-month virtual business development mentorship programme (June-November 2022); and
  • Complimentary leaders passes to MWC Barcelona 2023 provided by the GSMA.

A jury consisting of four to five individuals will collectively decide the winners of the hackathon, with members of the jury representing a mixture of expertise including technical/digital expertise, business expertise, expertise on financial inclusion through mobile, and expert(s) on the gender gap with regards, particularly to financial inclusion.

Who can participate?

We are looking for individuals from diverse backgrounds, with skills in development, software engineering and creative problem-solving. Preference will be given to women, individuals from among the diaspora in London, and representatives of vulnerable and minority and low-income groups. Accepted participants will be grouped so that each team has a diverse set of skills and expertise to draw on, such as as experience of the financial/digital literacy challenges faced by women in low and middle-income countries as well as technical, business, and gender expertise.

For any questions about the event please email Tamara Dancheva, Senior Manager, International Relations, GSMA at [email protected]

How Can you Apply?

How can you apply?

In order to secure a slot in this competitive Hackathon please fill in your application at the link below:

 

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 101006396. The sole responsibility for the content of this document lies with the author and in no way reflects the views of the European Union.

Application to Participate in GSMA hackathon “Bridging the Financial Literacy Gap”

 The Application deadline is 27 June. Please note however that registrations will be reviewed and confirmed on a first come first served basis so early application is encouraged in order to secure a slot.