Coding climate solutions: Empowering girls to lead
On International Girls in ICT Day* 2025, and for the 2nd year in a row, Deloitte Middle East joined forces with doyourbit.xyz as the Sustainability and Impact Supporter for the All-Girls Climate Hackathon, an event celebrating young female innovators across the UAE. This year’s hackathon brought together 124 girls aged 10 to 12 from 10 schools to collaborate on technology-driven solutions addressing climate challenges.
Hosted at the American Academy for Girls in Dubai, the hackathon challenged participants to design and prototype projects focused on issues such as disaster management, smart farming, and sustainable mobility. The girls applied coding skills alongside creativity, teamwork, and leadership to develop practical and innovative solutions.
The event provided a powerful learning experience, enhancing participants’ understanding of climate issues while building their confidence in coding and problem-solving. Many girls, some coding for the first time, discovered how technology can be a tool for positive environmental impact and social change.
Deloitte’s role included active mentorship and judging, offering expert guidance that enriched the participants’ experience.
Arati Marya, Partner - IT, Data & Analytics, reflected:
“Empowering girls with the skills and confidence to innovate is essential to shaping a sustainable future. Supporting initiatives like this hackathon inspires the next generation to lead with purpose and creativity in tackling climate challenges.”
Yasmin Kayali, DME Societal Impact Leader, added:
“Investing in the next generation of female innovators is critical to building inclusive and resilient societies. By equipping young girls with digital skills and climate awareness, we are not only closing the gender gap in STEM but also empowering future leaders to shape policies and solutions that address our most urgent societal challenges.”
The hackathon also created a supportive environment where girls felt valued and inspired in a traditionally male-dominated field. Female mentors played a vital role in encouraging confidence and ambition. Many participants expressed eagerness to continue their journeys through leadership roles and sustainability projects, signalling a lasting impact.
The All-Girls Climate Hackathon demonstrates how purposeful collaboration can empower young innovators to drive meaningful change—one bit at a time.
*ICT: Information and Communication Technology
