Last weekend, I had the incredible opportunity to take part in the We the Women Hackfest Auckland — and I’m so proud to say my team won first place! The Hackfest brought together young women aged 17-25 from across Aotearoa to solve real-world problems through innovation, teamwork, and tech.

Over 24 hours, we designed a project centred around women’s health in science and research. Our task was to tackle SDG 5.6 – universal access to sexual health. We focused on reducing the stigma and inaccessibility surrounding STI testing for women. Our solution, STIK, was a testing kit chemically engineered for female bodies exclusively, and paired with a multifunctional app.

Our solution made testing more accessible and improved how clinical studies include and represent women. Right now, so much medical data is based on male biology, which puts women at greater risk of misdiagnosis and inadequate treatment. Our app aimed to fix that by developing a platform that ensures health data is collected, analysed, and presented in a more inclusive and equitable way. It was empowering to bring science, gender equity, and tech together into something meaningful.

The experience pushed me in the best way possible. I used every skill I’ve picked up over the years, and I even had the chance to pitch our idea to a panel of industry experts and mentors. A highlight was definitely using my computer science skills to code and model a prototype. 

I walked out of the event with new friendships, new mentors, and a deeper belief in what’s possible when young women are given the space to lead. I’m so grateful to have represented our school, and I hope more students take part in events like these.

- Esha Ram, Year 13