Opportunities / Bootcamp

SafeTech Africa HackLab 2026 at United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in partnership with Spotlight Initiative Africa Regional Programme, GPECM, AU Innovation Lab, UNDP, UNICEF, UN Women

Opportunity Details

**SafeTech Africa HackLab 2026 for Young African Innovators**

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA Eastern and Southern Region & Western and Central African Region), in partnership with the Spotlight Initiative Africa Regional Programme (SIARP 2.0), the Global Programme to End Child Marriage (GPECM), the African Union Women, Gender and Youth Directorate (AU Innovation Lab), UNDP, UNICEF, UN Women invites young innovators, social entrepreneurs, and digital rights advocates across Africa to submit entries for the Youth Social Innovation Challenge Titled “SafeTech Africa Hacklab ’26”

Officially launched during the **African Union Innovation Festival ’26 (AU InnoFest ’26)** in Addis Ababa under the theme _“Vibrant Youth Ecosystems for AI & Digital Sovereignty,”_ this challenge identifies, incubates, funds, and scale youth-led digital and community solutions.

Across Africa, young people comprise over 60% of the population, yet adolescent girls and young women, and other marginalized groups face severe structural inequalities: an adolescent birth rate of 93 per 1,000, 1 in 3 girls married before 18, a 26% mobile internet gender gap leaving 230 million women offline, and pervasive technology-facilitated violence (TF-VAWG).

Driving a strategy of **Decentralised Power and Systemic Shifting** , the Hacklab aims to equip local youth leadership to challenge entrenched power imbalances directly.

**Challenge Themes**

Applications are accepted in one of the three priority themes below:

* THEME 1: Safe Physical & Community Spaces (Innovative Protection & Prevention of Harmful practices – child marriage, FGM and TG-VAWG)

* THEME 2: Safe Informational Spaces ( Dissemination of accurate digital CSE & SRHR Health Information)

* THEME 3: Safe Digital Spaces (Countering Anti-Rights Narratives that normalize child marriage, Censorship & TF-VAWG)

**Eligible Innovation Examples (non-exhaustive list):**

* Safety-by-design tools, browser extensions, encrypted reporting systems, and digital self-defense platforms protecting women online.

* Algorithmic auditing tools, digital and interactive counter-narrative toolkits, and media literacy apps that track and counter anti-rights disinformation campaign networks.

* Privacy-preserving AI solutions monitoring and mitigating online harassment and deepfake proliferation.

* Decentralised, privacy-preserving publishing tools and digital spaces for human rights advocates and creators facing online moderation suppression.

**Eligibility Criteria for the SafeTech Africa HackLab 2026**

* The program is looking for original, practical, youth-led innovations youth-led innovative ideas designed to directly tackle harmful practices- Technology-Facilitated Violence , Child Marriage, Female Genitale Mutilation.

Applicants must meet the following requirements:

**Benefits of the SafeTech Africa HackLab 2026**

Winners and runners-up enter a post-hackathon support program:

* **High-Level Pitching Stage:** Shortlisted finalists receive pitch coaching and will present live at the **YouthConnekt Africa Summit** in November 2026.

* **Seed Capital Grant:** Four winners will receive seed grants ranging between USD 5,000 to USD 10,000.

* **Market Access & Investor Matchmaking:** Direct exposure to investors, venture funds, and continental development partners present at YCA Summit.

* **Continental Visibility:** Spotlight feature across UNFPA, Spotlight Initiative, and African Union media channels, and other media channels during the YCA summit.

## [Apply Here for SafeTech Africa HackLab 2026](https://www.spotlightinitiative.org/latest/events/safetech-africa-hacklab-innovating-safe-spaces-call-applications)

Apply for this Opportunity

More Opportunities in Bootcamp