The Women’s Pavilion at Expo City Dubai will host an engaging, hands-on programme to mark International Day of Women and Girls in Science on 11 February, aiming to empower women and girls in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics), ignite curiosity and inspire innovation.

The ‘Innovators of Tomorrow’ programme reflects the Women’s Pavilion belief that when women thrive, humanity thrives and demonstrates its commitment to curating inspiring events and initiatives that celebrate the contribution of women and girls to shaping society.

Panel: Breaking barriers – inspiring the next generation of women in STEM Trailblazing women from different STEM fields will explore their personal journeys, the challenges they have overcome, and strategies to create a more inclusive future in STEM. Audiences will gain insights from Marwa Al Mamari, the UAE’s first aerospace engineer; Fatima AlKaabi, a computer engineer recognised in 2015 as the youngest Emirati inventor; Perihan Abouzeid, Founder and CEO of UAE-based FemTech startup PeriCare; and Arabella Willing, Head of Conservation Outreach & Citizen Science at Emirates Nature–WWF. The session will be moderated by Ryma Affani, Emirates Soil Museum Curator, International Centre for Biosaline Agriculture.

The panel is free to attend and will take place from 1000-1200. Tickets are on a first-come, first-served and can be secured at expocitydubai.com.

Science and tech workshops Students from schools across the UAE will spend the morning enhancing their STEM skills through interactive learning activities organised by the Expo School Programme and its partners, in line with the city’s commitment to delivering educational and cultural experiences that inspire and empower the next generation.

More than 300 students from 7-16 years will engage in a range of hands-on learning experiences, in collaboration with Lab of Future and Blockworks. Older students will explore inclusive urban planning using Minecraft as a design tool, prioritising the needs and safety of women and girls; another group will build and race mini drones, construct functional rocket models and assemble robotics components, while the youngest students will focus on designing energy-efficient robotics solutions.

FemTech Hackathon launch The Women’s Pavilion, in partnership with PeriCare and the Next Gen of Immunology Consultancy (NGIG), will announce details of the FemTech Hackathon to take place from 12-13 April.

The hackathon will task male and female students aged 16-18 to develop solutions that tackle real challenges faced by women in the UAE by leveraging FemTech. Winners will gain internship opportunities with leading startups in the FemTech space, teaching them new skills in STEM fields.

Further details will be shared on education.expocitydubai.com.