Girl Power at Codehers 2026

Laptops hummed, and ideas soared as more than 300 girls from 12 schools united at German Swiss International School on March 7th for CodeHers – A girls' only event made to empower the next generation of women in STEM. Whether they were writing their first line of code or polishing up on a project, all students left inspired and more confident. But why does this matter?

In a tech-driven world where innovations are happening every second, there’s an immense gap in gender disparity within the computer science field, as only 20% of women make up the data science and computing workforce. An event like CodeHers has the potential to catalyse the confidence in young women and encourage them to pursue fields and challenges that need their voices and perspectives to be heard. One spark of curiosity can light the flame of inspiration. 

GSIS radiated electrifying energy that morning, with excited students scanning each other's QR codes to exchange XP points as a way to network. These XP points could then be used to collect snacks and souvenirs. However, the innovative students quickly found a way to exploit the system by displaying their laptops in the auditorium where all 300 students were together, leading to students skyrocketing on the leaderboard and staff scurrying to inflate the prices at the XP booth! On top of that, XP points tripled in worth during lunch and peak socialising. In the end, those top students on the leaderboard were awarded a Momax air tag for third place, a disposable film camera for second place and a JBL speaker for first place! 

A special part of the event was the keynote speech by Rebecca Yip, the founder of Supercharge, a company dedicated to growing and integrating AI development in various companies. Being an alumnus of GSIS and Wharton, she was the perfect role model for many of us. Rebecca shared her entrepreneurial roadmap and how it wasn’t as smooth and straightforward as it seems, showcasing different roadblocks and challenges she had to overcome in order to catapult her enterprising ambitions, all the way from selling candy on the playground to starting her first real business venture in college - a service that connected ski instructors with children.

Throughout the day, there were 2 time slots for joining student-led workshops, catered towards all coding levels to encourage their coding journey and skill development.

Kavya, a workshop leader from KGV, hosted Intro to Python Game Building, described hosting a workshop as “a new and fun experience! The people who attended

were engaged, and everyone had a good time. Although we were an intermediate workshop, most students were beginners; however, we managed to pivot and change what we were doing to make it easier!”

During lunch time, different hackathon projects were on display for judges to critique and students to inquire about. There were various categories to win from and trophies to collect, with the theme this year being: Women in STEM face systemic barriers not because of a lack of ability, but because of a lack of visibility.

To finish up the day, there was a final XP store opportunity, resulting in students flooding and stampeding across the hall towards the XP booth from the auditorium in order to beat the queue and snatch the last of the stock. Popular items included: Custom fabric keychains, keycap keychains and blindbox pins. 

As a representative of the CodeHers committee and a part of the marketing team, I found the run-up to the event thrilling and the day of the event genuinely uplifting, as everyone there was inclusive and made the experience really heartwarming. Working alongside my teammates, I not only made new friends but also found meaningful ways to contribute and grow the CodeHers experience by creating innovative new marketing ideas.

This event was truly one of a kind; CodeHers has its own kind of special energy that transforms curiosity into creativity and strangers into friends. I can’t wait to return next year to see the new twists and surprises that build on this year’s success. Mark your calendars, bring your friends and get ready for next year!