LUGANO, Switzerland, May 28, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- DESIGN EQUALITY with Innovation became the 7th international competition in the SDGs-focused programme for students and graduates run by the socio-cultural initiative BE OPEN and its partners. Since 2019, the programme aims to encourage creation of innovative solutions by younger creatives, for a more prosperous and sustainable future, with the focus on the UN Sustainable Development Programme.

At the opening of the 69th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said: "By ensuring access to quality education for girls, and opening the doors of opportunity to decent work for women, we kick-start economic growth and we forge stronger economies."

BE OPEN joined in encouraging women's participation in innovation, community initiatives and sustainable small businesses by dedicating the 2025/2026 competition to contributing to achieving SDG#5, that is promoting the solutions that advocate and advance gender equality, meet the needs of women and girls, promote women as innovators and entrepreneurs.

From several hundreds of submissions fifty were shortlisted as honorary mentions. The winners of the first three prizes have been selected by international jury that featured sustainability professionals, academics, designers, experts in environmental policies and practices:

The First Prize of 5,000 euro goes to Norah Kimathi, a graduate from Strathmore University, Kenya. Norah is BA of Science in Informatics, Computer Science and Robotics Engineering. Her Zerobionic is an AI-powered robotic exoskeleton designed to improve access to STEM education for deaf and hard-of-hearing girls.
The Second Prize of 3,000 euro goes to Victress Igboanusim from the Imo State University, Nigeria for Calyx-Probe, a handheld AI-powered diagnostic device designed to improve access to non-invasive reproductive healthcare.
The Third Prize of 2,000 to Lennox Omondi and his team members Dullah Shiltone, Keylie Muthoni and Brian Ndung'u, graduates from St. Paul's University, Kenya. Their Ecobana is a circular manufacturing project that transforms banana agricultural waste into biodegradable sanitary pads for women and girls in underserved communities.

Successful entrepreneur and avid supporter of innovation Elena Baturina, Founder of BE OPEN, praised the winners and all the participants: "As global challenges grow more complex and interconnected, traditional methods often fall short. Addressing today's urgent issues demands fresh thinking, cross-disciplinary collaboration, and bold experimentation. And this is exactly what we see in incredible projects submitted to Design Equality by young people from all over the world. We are privileged to witness and support the creative power of younger people that will bring us closer to equality, thus creating more leaders of sustainable change".

The Public Vote and Founder's Choice Prize winners will be announced in June 2026. In addition to the grants, all the winners will be a fully paid trip to a major sustainability-related event in order to be able to present their projects to decision makers and global audiences.

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