ISHO Launches National Design Challenge to Rethink Women’s Safety in Cities

This International Women’s Day, ISHO has launched the Women’s Day 2026 Design Challenge: Designing Safer Cities for Women, a nationwide design competition inviting students to rethink how cities can better support the safety, dignity, and mobility of women and girls.

The initiative engages students from universities across Bangladesh to develop innovative, practical solutions that improve safety in streets, transport systems, campuses, workplaces, and public spaces. Faculty representatives from BRAC University, BUET, Daffodil International University, Khulna University, Sonargaon University, Stamford University, University of Asia Pacific, Southeast University, and North South University have joined the initiative to guide and encourage student participation.

The challenge is grounded in a simple premise: cities are not neutral. The way streets are designed, how transit systems operate, and how public spaces are structured all influence who feels safe, who feels visible, and who feels excluded. By inviting students to rethink urban systems through the lens of rights, justice, and action, the competition aims to generate solutions that move beyond symbolic gestures towards practical urban interventions.

The ISHO Women’s Day 2026 Design Challenge is designed to create real-world impact. From the submitted proposals, one project will be selected for prototype development in August 2026 and pilot implementation in November 2026, marking a direct transition from design concept to urban application.

"Cities shape everyday experiences of safety and belonging," said Rayana Hossain, Founder and Managing Director of ISHO. "Through this challenge, we hope to empower young designers to think boldly about how urban systems can better support women and girls, and to translate those ideas into implementable solutions."

Submissions will be evaluated by a jury comprising Tanya Karim, Partner Architect, NR Khan & Associates; Mehrin Chowdhury, Editor, Star Lifestyle — The Daily Star; Md Ashraful Islam, Chief Town Planner, RAJUK; and Rayana Hossain, Founder and Managing Director, ISHO.

The competition launched on 8 March 2026, with submissions open until 7 April 2026. Finalists will present their proposals to the jury, and winners will be announced at the Awards Ceremony on 17 April 2026.

By bringing together emerging designers, academic institutions, and urban decision-makers, the ISHO Women’s Day 2026 Design Challenge seeks to translate student ideas into tangible strategies for safer and more inclusive cities.

Link: www.isho.com/womens-day