Women in GovTech Challenge: A Women-Led Digital Future

Empowering women all around the world to shape the future of digital services

1- What is the Women in GovTech Challenge?

The Women in GovTech Challenge is a GovStack-led, training-and-mentorship initiative that enables women to design and develop safe, inclusive, and citizen-centric digital government services, while building a strong, international network of women leaders in GovTech and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). It combines structured learning, team-based practice, and mentorship to translate concepts into tangible service design proposals that address real public-sector needs.

Its objective is to strengthen both the technical and leadership capabilities of women working across government, private sector, civil society, and academia. Concretely, it aims to build capacity to apply the GovStack building-block approach, embed DPI safeguards so safety and inclusion are integral, and cultivate the skills and professional networks needed to deliver interoperable, scalable, and people-centric digital services.

This regional initiative envisions a global community of practice where women’s leadership shapes the future of digital governance. Over time, the initiative seeks to normalize women’s presence in decision-making and technical roles in GovTech, narrowing the gender gap while improving public service outcomes for all.

2- What does the initiative offer?

The initiative provides mentees with a 6-week course, during which, besides taking the lectures, they select a use case and develop, in groups, prototypes and wireframes that will be presented during the pitch week.

Participant mentees acquire

• technical skills on the GovStack building blocks, the DPI Safeguards Framework and the development of interoperable and scalable solutions; and,
• soft skills like communication, teamwork and critical thinking, as well as leadership, decision-making and people management.

Participants also benefit from valuable networking opportunities, including

• exclusive sessions with inspiring GovTech leaders; and,
• a chance to join an international cohort, fostering connections with a vibrant community of women who are shaping the future of DPI.

Finally, participant teams are guided by mentors as they develop their service design proposals and prototypes.

Mentees who complete all requirements of the challenge receive a Certification of Completion as well as TalTech Credits. There is also a Certificate of Participation awarded to both mentors and mentees.

Top proposals are showcased at a high-level international event, expanding visibility and opportunities for collaboration.

For more information, access the FAQ section of the GovStack webpage.

3- What are the criteria to participate?

To partake, mentees

• Should be young/mid-career women working in government, private sector, civil society, or academia (or other backgrounds), in roles such as, but not limited to, project coordinator, service designer, policy or legal advisor, user research specialist, solution architect, developer or technical specialist;
• Must demonstrate interest in GovTech or prior experience in digital transformation initiatives;
• Must be comfortable in English, since the program is conducted in this language; and,
• Must be able to commit to the time during which the program will last.

There are no eligibility requirements related to academic qualifications; importantly, mentees do not have to possess tech skills or coding skills to apply. While some technical topics may be covered, the focus is on digital government transformation, leadership, and innovation.

Individual mentees as well as groups of mentees can apply. While the first do so alone and will work on their learning journey in a group curated by the organizers (based on answers in the form), the second (teams of 2 to 6 people) apply together, usually from the same organization or project, and collaborate on assignments. Both application types are equally considered, and the acceptance decision is based on eligibility, motivation, and alignment with program goals.

To partake, mentors

• Must be senior women leaders in GovTech, digital governance, or public digital infrastructure, from government, private sector, or academia;
• Must be comfortable in English, since the program is conducted in this language;
• Must be able to commit 2 hours per week to mentor participants and provide guidance during the program; and,
• Should have previous mentorship or leadership experience, as well as motivation and commitment to support mentees throughout the program.

Here is the Code of Conduct for Women in GovTech Challenge 2025, which outlines the expectations for behavior to ensure a positive and productive experience for everyone involved.

For more information, access the FAQ section of the GovStack webpage.

4- Development of the 2024 and 2025 editions

The first edition of the Women in GovTech Challenge saw 139 women mentors and mentees from 49 countries and resulted in the production of multiple service concepts. An example of a proposal from the first cohort of the challenge is a healthcare service portal to enhance digital healthcare service delivery and to promote the adoption of DPI. This portal allows for the following stages of managing family health to be done electronically: appointment, service reception, and payment processing.

The 2025 edition expanded scope and partnerships. It welcomed 155 mentees and 53 mentors from over 50 countries. The initiative partnered with the World Bank, TalTech and Coursera (academic partners), and the DPI Safeguards Initiative, stewarded by the UN Office for Digital and Emerging Technologies and the UN Development Program.

Participants of this second round of the Women in GovTech Challenge successfully graduated in mid-June and co-created 25 prototypes for digital services, from tax collection systems in Colombia to gender based violence response solutions in Tunisia. Top service proposals developed during the challenge were exposed and celebrated at the World Summit on the Information Society, where the Women in GovTech Ambassadors was also launched.

For the 2025 edition, the key dates have been:

In sum, the Women in GovTech Challenge is a transformative pathway for women to lead the digital transformation, equipping participants with the skills, mentorship, and networks to build safer, more inclusive, and citizen‑centric digital public services.