TeleGroup at the Hack IT Girl Hackathon – Empowering Girls for the Future of Technology

TeleGroup participated once again this year in the mentoring process as part of the AFA (a global community dedicated to the economic empowerment of women) project, the virtual Hack IT Girl hackathon for high school girls, held on December 1–2 under the patronage of the Ministry of Trade, Tourism, and Telecommunications.

The hackathon brought together 100 high school girls from across Serbia, divided into 20 teams (5 girls per team), who worked with their mentors to create conceptual solutions for a given environmental challenge. According to the latest Microsoft research, the most common reasons girls "avoid" science and technology are beliefs that these fields are not interesting and the lack of female role models in their surroundings. Therefore, the mentors at the hackathon, in addition to helping the girls create conceptual solutions, strived to serve as worthy role models.

“I am incredibly pleased to have mentored a team of amazing girls at the Hack IT Girl hackathon organized by AFA. Participating in the hackathon is an excellent opportunity for high school girls to learn about the application of technology to solve challenges in the business world. This year’s competition theme was ecology, and the participants addressed the task effectively, demonstrating their understanding of technology and the application of innovative solutions,” said Kristina Knežević, Head of Product Management and TeleGroup mentor at the hackathon.

Hack IT Girl is part of the MOGIS (More Girls in STEAM) project, which aims to empower and inspire future generations of girls and young women in the fields of science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics so that they are equally represented in the technological jobs of the future and actively participate in creating the new digital civilization.

By raising awareness among girls about the importance of their involvement in STEAM fields, we prepare them for the most in-demand professions of the future. Not only do we contribute to building an inclusive society with equal opportunities, but we also involve women in creating new technologies, thereby preventing gender bias, which is inevitable under the current conditions where men dominate.