Django Girls is a non-profit that runs free, beginner-friendly, one-day Django and Python workshops around the world, organised entirely by volunteers. Since 2014 it has helped many thousands of women write their first lines of code, build a working blog, and deploy it live on the internet — using the same Django framework that runs in production at companies like Instagram and Mozilla.
What makes Django Girls special is not just the workshops. It is the friendly, no-judgement environment, the free coaches who sit beside you, and the famous open-source Django Girls Tutorial that anyone, anywhere can follow for free. This guide, refreshed for 2026, explains what Django Girls is, how a workshop runs, how the tutorial works, and how you can take part — as an attendee, a coach, an organiser, or a sponsor.
Key takeaways
- Django Girls is free for attendees. You pay nothing to join a workshop or to use the online tutorial — all you need is a laptop and curiosity.
- Founded in 2014 by Ola Sitarska and Ola Sendecka, it has since grown into hundreds of volunteer-run workshops across dozens of countries.
- It is run by volunteers, not staff: local organisers host each event, and coaches work with small groups of beginners.
- The Django Girls Tutorial teaches you to build and deploy a real blog with Python and Django — no prior experience required, and it is translated into many languages.
- "Your First Coding Event" is a free organiser manual, so anyone can bring a workshop to their own city.
- It is part of a wider ecosystem for diversity in tech, alongside the Django Software Foundation (DSF), PyLadies, and other community groups.
What is Django Girls?
Django Girls is a non-profit organisation and international community on a mission to get more women into the world of technology. It does this by removing the two biggest barriers beginners face: cost and fear.
The project began in 2014, started by Ola Sitarska and Ola Sendecka, who ran the very first workshop at a European Python conference. The idea was simple: invite women with no coding background, give each small group a patient coach, and spend a single day building something real together. The energy was infectious, the format was easy to copy, and within a few years volunteers were running Django Girls events on nearly every continent.
The organisation deliberately keeps things lightweight. There is a small core team and a brand, but the workshops themselves are powered by local volunteers who donate their time, and by sponsors who cover the venue, food, and materials. That volunteer model is exactly why the workshops can stay free for everyone who attends.
How does a Django Girls workshop work?
A typical Django Girls workshop is a single day of focused, supportive learning — usually around eight hours — and it is free to attend. Here is what to expect:
- Bring a laptop and enthusiasm. You do not need to install anything tricky in advance or know any programming. Organisers help you set up.
- You work in small groups with a dedicated coach, often one coach for just a few participants, so nobody gets left behind.
- You go at your own pace. There is no test and no pressure — you can move as fast or as slowly as you like.
- You build a real website. By following the tutorial with your coach, you create a blog with Python and Django and put it live on the internet by the end of the day.
- There are short tech talks and time to meet other beginners, mentors, and people working in the industry.
There is no age limit, and the whole point is to make that first step feel achievable. Most attendees arrive thinking "I could never do this" and leave with a deployed web app and a new community.
The Django Girls Tutorial: learn Django for free
The heart of the project is the free, open-source Django Girls Tutorial. It walks you, step by step, through building and deploying a complete blog application — and you can follow it entirely on your own, even without attending a workshop.
The tutorial is genuinely beginner-first. It starts with the command line and how the internet works, then introduces Python basics, then Django models, views, templates, and forms, and finishes by deploying your site so it is live for the world to see. It is community-maintained, kept reasonably current, and translated into many languages.
If the tutorial leaves you wanting to go deeper, these companion reads are a natural next step: creating your first Django app walks through the framework hands-on, and is Django the best framework for your web application helps you understand why so many teams pick it. For the bigger picture, our overview of Python development services explains where Python and Django fit in real-world products.
How to organise or sponsor a Django Girls workshop
You do not have to be a programmer — or even a woman — to help Django Girls grow. The community thrives on three kinds of contributor:
- Organisers bring a workshop to their city. Django Girls publishes a free, detailed organiser manual called "Your First Coding Event", which covers everything from finding a venue and recruiting coaches to applying to use the Django Girls name. You apply, get support from the core team, and run your event.
- Coaches are the volunteers who sit with small groups on the day. You need to be comfortable with the basics of Python and Django and, more importantly, be patient and encouraging.
- Sponsors make it all possible. Companies and individuals donate venue space, food, swag, and funding so that attendance stays free. Many tech companies and community sponsors have backed workshops over the years.
Sponsoring or coaching is also one of the most genuine ways for a software company to support diversity in tech and meet the next generation of developers.
Django Girls vs PyLadies vs coding bootcamps
Django Girls is not the only route into programming, and it is not trying to be a full bootcamp. It is best understood as a friendly first door. Here is how it compares with two other common paths:
| Program | Format | Cost to attendee | Main focus | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Django Girls | One-day workshop plus a free online tutorial | Free | A confident first step in Python and Django web development | Total beginners, especially women, who want a friendly first taste of coding |
| PyLadies | Ongoing local meetups, mentorship, and talks | Free | Building an inclusive Python community over the long term | Women who want continued community, networking, and support in Python |
| General coding bootcamp | Weeks to months, full- or part-time | Paid tuition | Job-ready, full-stack skills and career placement | Career changers ready to commit serious time and money |
These paths complement each other. Many people start at a Django Girls workshop, stay involved through PyLadies, and only later decide whether a longer, paid programme is right for them.
Why Django Girls matters for women in programming
Technology still has a well-documented gender gap, and the earliest stages — the very first time someone tries to code — are where a lot of potential talent quietly drops out. People give up not because the work is too hard, but because the environment feels unwelcoming or because they assume "I am not a coder."
Django Girls tackles that head-on. By making the first experience free, small-group, judgement-free, and successful (you leave with a live website), it replaces "I could never" with "I just did." That single shift is what turns a curious attendee into someone who keeps learning.
It also sits inside a healthy support network. The Django Software Foundation (DSF) stewards the Django framework and funds community and diversity efforts; PyLadies runs ongoing local groups for women in the Python world; and conferences increasingly offer grants and mentorship. Django Girls is often the friendly front door, and these communities are the rooms you walk into next.
Where MicroPyramid fits
We have a soft spot for Django Girls because Django has been at the core of what we do for more than 12 years. Since 2014, MicroPyramid has built and maintained production Django applications for startups and enterprises across the US, UK, Australia, Singapore, and beyond — so we know first-hand how far someone can go after that first workshop.
Our team has long been part of the regional Python and Django community, and we have been glad to support Django Girls workshops over the years. We are not the organisers of the project — that credit belongs to its founders and its global volunteers — but we genuinely value what it does for the pipeline of new developers.
If you are exploring Django for a real product after catching the bug, our Django development services page explains how we help teams design, build, and scale Django apps. And if you are still deciding, the same fundamentals you learn at a Django Girls workshop are the ones we use every day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Django Girls really free to attend?
Yes. Django Girls workshops are completely free for attendees, and the online Django Girls Tutorial is free and open-source too. Costs such as venue, food, and materials are covered by volunteer organisers and sponsors so that money is never a barrier to learning.
Do I need any programming experience to join a Django Girls workshop?
No prior experience is needed. The workshops are designed for absolute beginners and start from the very basics, including the command line and what happens when you visit a website. A coach guides your small group through every step, so you are never stuck alone.
What do I need to bring to a Django Girls workshop?
Mainly a laptop and enthusiasm. Organisers send setup instructions beforehand and help you finish any installation on the day, so you do not need to configure a development environment in advance. There is no age limit, and the workshops are aimed primarily at women.
Can men attend or help at Django Girls events?
The workshops are for women attendees, but men are warmly welcome — and very much needed — as coaches, volunteers, and sponsors. Supporting an event by coaching a group or helping fund it is one of the most direct ways anyone can help close the gender gap in tech.
How do I organise a Django Girls workshop in my city?
Start with the free "Your First Coding Event" organiser manual, which walks you through venues, coaches, sponsors, and applying to use the Django Girls name. You apply through the Django Girls website and receive guidance from the core team, then recruit local volunteers to run the day.
Is the Django Girls Tutorial still relevant in 2026?
Yes. The tutorial is community-maintained and kept reasonably current with modern Django and Python, and the core concepts it teaches — models, views, templates, and deployment — remain the foundation of real Django development. It is still one of the friendliest free ways to build and deploy your first web app.