EquiLense wins Rep. Don Beyer’s 2025 Congressional App Challenge in Virginia’s Eighth District.

When asked what inspired the creation of EquiLense, Deepthi Kumar said, “What inspired me to create EquiLense was seeing how often women’s voices are left out or treated unfairly in the news and media. When I read articles or watch interviews, I notice that men are quoted way more than women. I kept seeing that when women are mentioned, the focus is often on how they look or act, instead of what they actually say or do. That made me realize how unfair it is, and how it can make people think that women’s ideas aren’t as important. It bothered me because the media is supposed to tell the truth, but when it doesn’t represent everyone equally, it gives people a false view of the world.

‘As a girl, this really stuck with me. It’s hard to see so few women being taken seriously in big discussions about things like science, politics, and technology. I thought about how this could affect other girls, too, and how it might make them feel like their voices don’t matter or like they can’t become leaders one day. That made me feel upset, but also made me want to take action.

‘As I researched more, I decided to create EquiLense. I wanted people to actually see where bias happens so they can start to notice it themselves. Our future generations must be more aware of what they’re reading, and the news must be fairer and more equal.

‘Another thing that inspired me was seeing how this same problem shows up during elections. During local elections, I noticed that male candidates usually get more media attention than female ones. Due to this, people don’t get to hear their ideas, and it makes it harder for women to be seen as strong leaders. I’ve even noticed this in my own school during elections for clubs or the student council; boys often win more than girls. This is not because the girls aren’t capable or don’t work hard, but because people are just more used to seeing boys in leadership roles. Seeing that pattern, both in real elections and in my own school, made me realize how big a problem representation really is.

‘My goal with EquiLense is to make sure women’s voices are heard and respected. I hope this app inspires more people to think about fairness in the media, and more girls to know that their opinions matter and that they can be leaders too.”