UNFPA Ghana launches ‘AI for Her Future’ hackathon to tackle child marriage and teen pregnancy

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Ghana has launched an initiative aimed at ending child marriage and teenage pregnancy through the power of artificial intelligence and innovation on Thursday, October 16.

Dubbed the “AI for Her Future” Hackathon, the event officially kicked off this week at the Google AI Community Centre in Accra.

Designed as more than a mere tech competition, the hackathon brings together young developers, designers, activists and social innovators from across the country to co-create bold, data-driven and community-focused solutions to some of Ghana’s most pressing social challenges affecting girls and young women.

In her opening remarks, Innovation Specialist at UNFPA Ghana, Theresa Yeboah set the tone for the event by stressing the need to fuse innovation with social impact.

“We are gathered today with a shared commitment to harness the power of innovation and artificial intelligence to tackle some of the most pressing challenges facing girls and young women in Ghana: child marriage and teenage pregnancy,” Ms Yeboah said.

“These issues not only rob our girls of their childhood and education, but they also limit the potential of entire communities and future generations.”

Under the theme “AI for Her Future Ending Child Marriage and Teenage Pregnancy through Innovation”, the hackathon received over 700 applications from across the country.

After a competitive review process, 18 finalist teams were selected to pitch their ideas, collaborate with expert mentors, and develop practical prototypes with the potential for scale.

“This hackathon is an exciting opportunity for passionate minds developers, designers, activists, and changemakers to come together, innovate boldly, and co-create tools that empower girls and protect their rights,” said Ms Yeboah.

She noted that participants will work on AI-driven solutions, including tools to predict school drop-out risk, chatbots for discreet reproductive health support, and community dashboards to help monitor early warning signs.

The hackathon also marked the official launch of the Ghana Innovation Strategy, a locally tailored adaptation of UNFPA’s global innovation framework.

The strategy prioritises youth-led and community-driven innovations to address persistent social challenges through both digital and non-digital solutions.

“One of the pillars of this strategy is fostering youth-led solutions,” Ms Yeboah explained. “This is not just about building apps it’s about creating tools that respond to real people and real problems in our communities.”

UNFPA Ghana’s Country Representative, Dr Wilfred Ochan, officially launched the hackathon saying: Ghana is not just launching a competition it is launching a national movement.

“We have made progress in Ghana, but progress is not victory,” Dr Ochan said. “One in five girls is married before her 18th birthday. Nearly 14% of adolescent girls between 15 and 19 are already mothers. This is not merely a social issue it is a development crisis, a health crisis, and a human rights crisis.”

Dr Ochan highlighted the dual-track nature of the hackathon one focusing on AI and data innovation, and the other on community-based, offline solutions to ensure inclusivity in areas with limited digital access.

“We are not only launching a hackathon. We are launching a movement that insists no girl’s future should be defined by poverty, gender norms or outdated traditions.”

UNFPA Ghana has committed to supporting the winning teams with seed funding, mentorship, and incubation ensuring that the most promising solutions do not remain prototypes, but are integrated into national programmes and rolled out across communities.

“The ideas born here must become tools that work on the ground,” said Yeboah. “Innovation will remain at the core of how we deliver on our mandate a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe, and every young person’s potential is fulfilled.”

The hackathon is being hosted at Google Ghana’s newly launched AI Community Centre, a space designed to foster African-led technological solutions.

In a show of public-private collaboration, Google Ghana partnered with UNFPA to provide the venue and technical support.

Speaking at the launch, Perry Nelson, Country Manager for Google Ghana, underscored the alignment of the hackathon’s mission with Google’s vision for socially impactful technology.

“We know this is a huge problem,” Nelson said. “But it’s one we believe we can help solve not alone, but together. Whether it’s AI that powers weather forecasts or AI that supports maternal health, we’ve seen the potential, and we are excited to be part of this effort.”

He also highlighted Google’s ‘Mind the Gap’ programme, which works to empower young women through education, mentorship and exposure to STEM careers.

While many of the projects centre around advanced technologies, UNFPA and its partners were clear that innovation must serve humanity first.

“Let us build technology that carries empathy,” said Dr Ochan. “Let us build systems that defend dignity. Let us build a future where every girl from Accra to Bongo to Sefwi Wiawso can say with confidence: My life is mine to decide.”

He added “You are not here to impress us with code. You are here to protect a generation. To design the tools that history will look back on and say this is when Ghana changed course.”

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