A two-day workshop and student challenge prize on gender-responsive and community-centred built environment development
The programme
We are launching an exciting transformative student challenge prize and expo that brings together undergraduate women students to develop innovative infrastructure solutions that address critical challenges affecting women and marginalised communities. This programme combines collaborative learning, community-engaged research, and industry mentorship to create a structured pathway for women students to engage with real-world infrastructure problems and develop solutions grounded in the lived experiences of those most affected.
This initiative centres women's voices, expertise, and leadership, and fosters ethical community engagement and professional development. Over an intensive 4-week period, teams of students will work within one of four challenge tracks addressing critical infrastructure domains where gender inequities are pronounced: Safe Mobility, Water and Sanitation, Energy Access, or Public Space and Community Infrastructure.
The programme begins with a comprehensive two-day launch workshop providing training in participatory research methods, community engagement ethics, and professional presentation skills. Throughout the development period, teams receive ongoing support from assigned industry mentors who guide them through research, solution development, and preparation for the final expo.
The journey culminates in a celebratory Student-Industry Expo where all teams present their work to an audience of built environment professionals, compete for prize funding, and connect with potential employers and collaborators. Three winning teams will receive prize funding totalling R22,000 (First Place: R10,000; Second Place: R7,000; Third Place: R5,000) along with ongoing mentorship support to advance their solutions toward real-world implementation over the following three months.
The challenge prize
At the heart of this programme is an innovative challenge prize competition that seeks creative, feasible infrastructure solutions specifically designed to address the distinct challenges women face in accessing safe mobility, adequate water and sanitation, reliable energy, and inclusive public spaces. Through this challenge, we aim to empower women students to lead infrastructure innovation, strengthen their technical and professional capabilities, and foster meaningful collaboration between emerging professionals and the communities they seek to serve.
Following the launch workshop, teams will embark on an 4-week intensive development period combining background research, meaningful community engagement using participatory methods, and iterative solution design informed by women's lived experiences. Teams must demonstrate genuine community partnership.
Teams will submit comprehensive written proposals documenting their problem definition, community engagement process and findings, solution description with technical specifications, feasibility analysis, and implementation pathway. All teams will showcase their work at the Expo through poster exhibitions and presentations, with finalist teams selected to deliver live pitches to a diverse judging panel comprising industry professionals, academics, municipal officials, and community organisation representatives.
Please submit your application by 28 February, using the online form.
Key dates
| Applications open | 16 February 2026 |
| Applications close | 28 February 2026 |
| Selection outcome | 2 March 2026 |
| Workshop | 9 - 10 March 2026 |
| Expo and showcase | 10 April 2026 |
Key contacts
More details
Teams select one of four challenge tracks, each addressing a critical infrastructure domain where gender inequities are pronounced. Each track is designed to encourage solutions grounded in women's actual experiences and developed through meaningful community engagement.
Track 1: Safe Mobility
The Challenge: Women in South Africa face significant safety concerns using public transport, affecting their ability to access education, employment, healthcare, and participate fully in public life. Design infrastructure solutions that improve women's safety and experience in public transport systems.
Potential focus areas:
- Station and stop design (lighting, sightlines, help points, waiting areas)
- Last-mile connectivity and safe walking routes to/from transport nodes
- Route planning and scheduling that accounts for women's travel patterns
- Integration of informal transport into safer networks
- Technology solutions (safety apps, emergency systems, real-time tracking)
- Design interventions that maintain natural surveillance (eyes on the street)
Track 2: Water and Sanitation
The Challenge: Inadequate water and sanitation infrastructure disproportionately affects women and girls, consuming their time, affecting their health and dignity, and limiting their participation in education and economic activities. Design solutions that improve water access and sanitation, particularly in informal settlements and underserved areas.
Potential focus areas:
- Safe, dignified, accessible public toilets in transport hubs, markets, and public spaces
- Water point design and location considering women's safety and time
- Sanitation solutions for informal settlements that protect women's dignity and safety
- Menstrual hygiene facilities in schools, universities, and workplaces
- Community management models that include women's leadership
Track 3: Energy Access
The Challenge: Energy poverty affects women disproportionately, impacting domestic labour, childcare, home-based economic activities, and safety. Design energy infrastructure solutions that address women's specific energy needs and create economic opportunities.
Potential focus areas:
- Off-grid or renewable energy systems designed for women's domestic and economic activities
- Street lighting in residential areas and along pedestrian routes women commonly use
- Energy solutions for informal settlements that reduce fire risks and improve safety
- Electrical infrastructure in markets and informal trading areas
- Community energy systems with women's leadership in management
Track 4: Public Space and Community Infrastructure
The Challenge: Public spaces and community infrastructure often fail to account for women's care responsibilities, economic activities, and safety needs. Design inclusive public infrastructure that enables women's full participation in civic and economic life.
Potential focus areas:
- Market infrastructure that supports women informal traders
- Public spaces with integrated childcare facilities
- Community centres designed around women's activities and networks
- Public space lighting, sightlines, and activation that improves safety
- Spaces that accommodate both economic activity and care work
Our selection committee will evaluate teams based on five equally weighted criteria:
1. Understanding of problem from women's perspectives (20%)
Demonstrates deep understanding of how the infrastructure challenge affects women specifically, going beyond surface observations to understand complexity and intersectionality. Evidence must be grounded in community engagement, not assumptions.
2. Quality and ethics of community engagement (20%)
Evidence of meaningful, respectful community engagement using appropriate participatory methods with clear consent and ethical protocols. Community voices must be centred in the presentation, with clear demonstration of how community input shaped the solution and evidence of reciprocity.
3. Innovation and quality of solution (20%)
Creative, innovative approach with technical soundness and feasibility. Solutions should go beyond conventional approaches while demonstrating appropriate level of detail for an 8-week undergraduate project.
4. Feasibility and potential impact (20%)
Solution is implementable in South African context with realistic consideration of costs, resources, and technical requirements. Clear articulation of impact on women's lives with identified implementation pathway and scalability potential.
5. Presentation quality and teamwork (20%)
Clear, compelling presentation with effective visual communication and strong evidence of teamwork. Professional presence and ability to respond to questions.
We welcome applications from undergraduate women students enrolled in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment at the University of Johannesburg. All built environment and engineering disciplines are encouraged to participate including but not limited to architecture, civil engineering, construction management, urban planning, quantity surveying, facilities management, landscape architecture, and property studies. Students at any undergraduate level (first year through final year) are eligible.
Teams must consist of five members, and must be interdisciplinary, bringing diverse technical perspectives. Most importantly, we are seeking students who share our commitment to gender equity, social justice, and respectful community engagement. These values are central to our work with communities experiencing infrastructure challenges, and we want to ensure that all participants approach this research with cultural sensitivity and genuine dedication to collaborative, community-centred solutions that create reciprocal benefit.
All participants receive:
- Certificate of participation
- Reference letter acknowledging engagement (upon request)
- Access to programme alumni network
- Portfolio piece demonstrating community-engaged design capability
- Professional networking contacts established during expo