Celebrating Innovation and Gender Equality: BE OPEN Awards Winners for Design Equality

BE OPEN Awards: Promoting Gender Equality Through Design

The BE OPEN Foundation has made a significant mark this year by revealing the winners of the Public Vote and Founder's Choice Prizes in the 'Design Equality with Innovation' competition, an initiative aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) #5. This competition focuses on promoting gender equality and empowering young talents to craft innovative solutions that foster a sustainable future.

Since its inception in 2025, the Design Equality initiative is a tribute to the 30th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration, an important milestone that spurred the advancement of women's rights worldwide. With the participation of students and recent graduates, the competition seeks to ignite creativity among youth, offering them a platform to propose solutions that cater to the diverse needs of women and girls.

Elena Baturina, the Founder of BE OPEN, emphasized the importance of this initiative. "For seven consecutive years, we have supported young innovators to engage in critical challenges facing humanity. The creative energy and insightful ideas we receive every year reaffirm our belief that nurturing young minds is vital for impact-driven change. Our mission is to educate and inspire a new generation capable of tackling future global challenges, fostered by creativity and collaboration."

The Founder's Prize of 3,000 euros was awarded to a team from Universitas Indonesia, comprising Ellena Vianne, Tria Indah Lestari, Farida Doa Valentina, and Adnan Hasyim Wibowo. Their project, the Roots Menstrual Care System, addresses the menstrual health needs of the Orang Rimba indigenous community residing in Sumatra’s Bukit Duabelas National Park. This innovative system integrates biodegradable menstrual products made from locally sourced materials, alongside models promoting women's economic empowerment and essential health education tailored to their cultural context.

The Public Vote Prize, amounting to 2,000 euros, went to Akshat Shah, Harshavi Patel, and Aryaa Bhagwat from India for their project, Samvaad Saathi. This service aims to enhance financial inclusion for women daily-wage construction workers, offering user-friendly support that guides them in managing their finances. The project assists them in opening bank accounts, accessing pension schemes, and understanding savings and earnings strategies.

Both winning teams will not only receive monetary grants but also gain access to educational opportunities relevant to their fields. Furthermore, they will be awarded a fully-funded trip to a major sustainability-focused event, providing them a chance to present their groundbreaking projects to a global audience.

The Design Equality with Innovation competition exemplifies how creativity and youth engagement can catalyze progress in gender equality and sustainability. By investing in young innovators, BE OPEN is fostering a community that believes in harnessing creativity to address pressing societal issues. As the foundation continues its journey, it remains committed to bridging the gap in gender-related innovations and supporting a future where every individual can thrive.

This year’s event once again illustrates how young voices can make a difference in our world. Through initiatives like these, we pave the way for a more equitable society, where innovation and gender inclusivity go hand-in-hand to create lasting change.

As the BE OPEN Foundation looks to future competitions, it holds a strong commitment to nurturing the next generation of change-makers, ensuring that their contributions resonate far beyond the awards they receive.