We talk a lot about the lack of women in technology. What’s keeping them out? The Lady Problem Global Hackathon Series, presented by AngelHack, is launching in a city near you!

The Lady Problems Global Hackathon Series is setting out to answer that question. We’re challenging our community of 100,000+ women and men, developers, designers, entrepreneurs to create technology that will address the problems that prevent female entrepreneurship. And course, male allies are welcome too!

Why is this an issue?

Women represent half of the global population, reinvest 90% of their income into their families and communities, but earn just 10% of the world’s income. Studies have shown that advancing women’s equality can add between $12-28 trillion to global economic growth.

According to UN Women, companies with 3 or more women in senior management functions score higher in all dimensions of organizational effectiveness, yet just 4% of Fortune 500 companies are led by women. In startup-land, you’ll find the same results. First Round Capital’s analysis of 300 portfolio companies over ten years showed that startup teams with at least one female founder performed 63% better than all male teams, yet around only 4% of women are backed by VC funding.

It’s proven that investing in women creates a better world, and yet they’re not even close to meeting their potential. So what can we do to solve these problems?

Challenges:

Health
Hack a solution that will help women access health resources to ensure that they can have successful careers, regardless of whether or not they choose to have children.

Safety
Hack a solution that ensures that women can be safe when they go to, are at, and come home from work.

Economic Empowerment
Hack a solution that helps women gain access to the financial resources, training and support they need to grow their businesses.

Culture
Hack a solution that helps women succeed and feel confident in the workplace and that they are supported in their careers by their families and communities.