Orange Belgium joined forces with BeCode and WomInTech on 26 October to organise the first edition of VibeHack, an initiative designed to give female students hands-on experience with artificial intelligence and digital technologies. The participants, all students at the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB), worked in teams to develop and present a website or application using AI.
The initiative brought together nearly 50 female students from diverse academic backgrounds for an interactive hackathon focused on technology and innovation. Through hands-on activities, participants explored AI-powered tools and developed their own applications, putting their creativity, problem-solving skills and innovative ideas into practice. The event aimed to inspire more young women to explore opportunities in the digital and tech sectors.
Turning digital ambition into action
According to UNESCO’s 2024 report Changing the Equation: Securing STEM Futures for Women, women hold just 22% of STEM jobs across G20 countries. They also account for only 35% of STEM graduates in higher education worldwide, a figure that has remained unchanged over the past decade. These figures highlight the continued under-representation of women in STEM, and the importance of creating more opportunities for women to discover and pursue careers in technology.
Orange Belgium is working to help close this gap through Hello Women, an international programme launched in 2020 to promote greater gender diversity in technical and digital professions. Its initiatives range from raising awareness and encouraging women to consider careers in tech to supporting recruitment, retraining, career development and female entrepreneurship in technology. Initiatives such as VibeHack are part of this approach, giving women the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with technology, develop new skills and discover its potential in practice.
Nathalie Rahbani, Chief Brand, Communication & ESG Officer at Orange Belgium: “Digital technology is shaping the world around us, and women should have the opportunity to be part of that transformation. Through our Hello Women programme, Orange Belgium wants to help make the digital world more accessible and encourage more women to see a future for themselves in tech. With local initiatives like VibeHack, students and young women can experiment, build and turn their ideas into reality.”
Orange Belgium aims to continue creating opportunities for women to discover, develop and put their digital skills into practice. By doing so, the company wants to contribute to a more diverse tech sector in which more women can play an active role in shaping the digital future.