A preliminary study about the low engagement of female participation in hackathons

Abstract

Hackathons, which are collaborative time-bounded events that are a sort of application development marathon, lasting between 24 and 48 hours, are increasing as an alternative and popular method for fast learning and networking, bringing people together in a short space of time to do creative projects. However, the number of women participating in such events is extremely low and worrying, and literature lacks empirical evidence about that. This preliminary study aims to gather more data in an attempt to understand better why women are not so interested in this type of event.