Student developers recognized for innovative apps that advance women's technical career development

SOUTHBOROUGH, Mass., May 2, 2023 -- Virtusa Corporation, a global provider of digital strategy, digital engineering, and IT services and solutions, today announced the winners of its inaugural Engineering Equity hackathon. The multi-week event attracted more than 65,000 female registrants sharing the common goal of establishing solutions for how software can close the chronic gender-equity gap for women pursuing a career in STEM fields while delivering meaningful impact with learning and networking opportunities.

"We had an amazing response to our global hackathon and are so proud of all the women who submitted their projects that called on them to create solutions that drive gender equality," said Sharmila Sherikar, senior vice president of HR at Virtusa. "We look forward to cheering and applauding their future accomplishments while continuing to host hackathons that pave career paths for generations of women to come."

A team of women received the grand prize distinction for engineering an app that empowers women to acquire new technical skills and nurture their development through engaging and interactive lessons, quizzes, and resources. The app also provides guidance and insights through their career journey.

The award winners shared $5,000, and each regional runner-up team received $2,000. Hackathon finalists will also receive free coding training through Revature to refine their foundational programming skills or advance their understanding of Java, HTML, and CSS skills, developed by world-class instructors who will provide hands-on experience. You can view details on the winning teams here.

To maintain its commitment to women everywhere, Virtusa entered into a sponsorship agreement with Girls Who Code to close the gender gap in technology by ensuring women have access to educational and hiring resources. Girls Who Code's programs are building the pipeline of future technologists and sparking culture change, serving 500,000 girls globally, half of whom are Black, Latinx, or low-income.

To support their mission of promoting diversity and inclusion in the data science field, Virtusa will also donate to the Women in Data organization to establish a scholarship fund that will cover the cost of membership dues for women and underrepresented groups pursuing careers in data science. This will provide access to Women in Data's resources and community that are designed to cater to members at different stages of their careers and help them develop new skills and knowledge.

About Girls Who Code

Girls Who Code is an international nonprofit organization working to close the gender gap in technology and leading the movement to inspire, educate, and equip students who identify as girls or nonbinary with the computing skills needed to pursue 21st-century opportunities. Since launching in 2012, Girls Who Code has reached 500,000 students through our in-person and virtual programming, and 115,000 of our alumni are college or career-aged.

Girls Who Code has sparked culture change through marketing campaigns and advocacy efforts, generating 14 billion engagements globally. In 2019, the organization was named the #1 Most Innovative Non-Profit on Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies list and was named one of Nonprofit Times' Best Nonprofits to Work For in 2022 and 2023.

Read the conversation of Venkatesan Vijayaraghavan, our EVP and Global Head – Technology Service Lines, with the winners of Virtusa's Engineering Equity Hackathon, Visit here.

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