Women's Hackathon Series in China Tackles Sexism and Menopause

A series of women-led hackathons across China is empowering female participants to develop tech solutions for issues often overlooked by the male-dominated industry, such as menopause and workplace sexism. The events, organized by the nonprofit Coding Girls Club, have taken place in multiple cities including Beijing, Shanghai, and Shenzhen since 2022. Each hackathon brings together women from diverse backgrounds—students, engineers, and designers—to prototype apps and platforms addressing gender-specific problems. One winning team created a menstrual health tracker that also logs workplace harassment incidents. Another project focused on a platform for reporting gender discrimination in hiring. The initiative aims to close the gender gap in China's tech sector, where women hold only about 20% of technical roles. Organizers report that over 1,000 women have participated so far, with plans to expand to more cities. The hackathons also provide mentorship from female tech leaders and venture capital networking opportunities.