Women underrepresented in cybersecurity | Moonshot News
Women underrepresented in cybersecurity | Moonshot News
https://moonshot.news/news/diversity-inclusion/women-underrepresented-in-cybersecurity/
Publish Date: 2026-05-15 09:00:00
Source Domain: moonshot.news
“Women remain underrepresented in cybersecurity and in the rooms where decisions are made – at precisely the moment when cyber threats are escalating”, UN Women says announcing the launching of The Women Empowerment in Cybersecurity Award. The organisation stresses that cybersecurity is no longer a technical niche. “It is a foundation of global resilience, shaping economic stability, public trust, humanitarian action and international security.”
“This is not only a pipeline problem; it is a systems problem. Economic and social barriers, from unequal access to education and training opportunities, to barriers and bias in hiring and promotion, to the unequal burden of unpaid care – continue to narrow women’s pathways into the cybersecurity sector.”
“The cost is collective: the cybersecurity space should not leave women and girls on the margins but instead tap into their potential to strengthen global digital resilience.”
The award is a global initiative by the Global Cybersecurity Forum (GCF) and is structured across four complementary tracks: Pipeline Builder (recognizes organisations that build early pathways for girls and young women), Advocacy Champion (recognizes organizations that strengthen the visibility and inclusion of women in cybersecurity), Workforce Enablement (recognizes organizations that help women enter, grow in, and remain in cybersecurity roles), and Leadership & Entrepreneurship (recognizes organizations that support women in advancing into cybersecurity leadership and entrepreneurship).
The rapid evolution of cyberthreats has created a growing demand for skilled cybersecurity professionals. Cybersecurity is among the fastest-growing skill areas, yet faces a talent gap of up to 4.8 million unfilled positions. Only 14% of organisations have the skilled talent needed, according to the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) Future of Jobs 2025 report.
Addressing this requires public–private partnerships, Gen AI-driven…
