CodeHers 2nd Hackathon
Welcome to the 2nd CodeHers Hackathon, an exciting opportunity to encourage girls of all ages to showcase their talents and passions in STEM! Got a brilliant idea that can help girls and women around the world? Put your coding chops to the test!
Participants will have the chance to work individually or form teams of up to 5 with anyone, regardless of their school. This online hackathon will take place from January to February 21st, leading to a live finals and award ceremony on March 7th.
Hackathon Submission Deadline
February 21, 2026 • 11:59 PM HKT
Overview
Theme
Women in STEM face systemic barriers—not because of a lack of ability, but because they lack visibility, validation, and voice. However, we believe that women’s contributions in STEM are recognized, amplified, and rewarded. Therefore, this year's theme focuses on developing innovative technology tools that directly enhance the lives of girls and women, empowering them to succeed, lead, and thrive.
Potential Solutions:
- A mentorship-matching platform to connect students with women in tech/engineering
- A website to teach women financial literacy
- An app to educate on reproductive health
- A blend of software and hardware solutions
We encourage all female students to participate, regardless of experience, background, or perceived skill. Every idea matters. Every perspective changes the future.
Also, joining the hackathon WILL allow you to gain EXTRA XP for the real event!
Key Dates & Deadlines
Save these dates to stay on top of everything, from sign-ups to final presentations!
Hackathon Launch
January
Hackathon Registration and Submission Deadline
February 21st 2026
Finalists Shortlist
February 28th 2026
Exhibition, Live Finals and Award Ceremony
March 7th 2026
Judging Criteria
| Criterion | Mark | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Relevance to Theme | 5 | The project must clearly align with the designated theme of the hackathon, demonstrating explicit connections between the project and the theme. |
| Creativity & Originality | 5 | Projects should present a unique approach to addressing the identified problem, showcasing innovative features or methodologies that differentiate them from existing solutions. |
| Technical Excellence | 5 | Evaluates the quality of the code and technical implementation, ensuring projects are free from critical bugs, run smoothly, and maintain user-friendly designs with intuitive navigation |
| Implementation Effectiveness | 5 | Focuses on how well the project fulfills its intended purpose, demonstrating a high level of functionality and completeness, and potential for future enhancements or scalability. |
| Presentation & Engagement (Finals only) | 5 | The pitch should be engaging and well-structured, effectively conveying the project’s value. Judges will assess public speaking skills, confidence, clarity, and audience engagement. |
Registration and Submission
This year, registration and submission of projects for the hackathon will be simulatenous in 1 form! Submissions are expected to include a 1500-character project proposal and a 5-minute long video with narration to both demonstrate your project and show off your presentation.
In addition, partipicants are strongly encouraged to submit a prototype. This could be a physical item (with photos, videos or slideshows showcasing), or even a link to an accessible codebase. (We recommend all participants to use GitHub to store their code) so we can run and review your code)
Make sure to show passion and engagement in your presentation!
Exhibition and Finals Information
The top five teams (in the preliminary round) will present live to the judges on March 7th, followed by a Q&A session.
Selected teams will be invited to showcase their ideas at the project exhibition in dedicated booths on the day of the event, regardless of whether they advance to the finals.
More information will be sent via email to teams who have entered the finals and/or are invited to exhibit on the day.