As cybersecurity becomes increasingly central to economic stability, public trust and global resilience, UN Women and the Global Cybersecurity Forum have signed a new partnership agreement to expand women’s participation and leadership in one of the world’s most critical and fast-growing sectors.
The agreement was signed by UN Women’s Executive Director and the CEO of the Global Cybersecurity Forum, at a high-level event convened on 22 September 2026, on the margins of UNGA81 at the UN Headquarters. The event saw the launch of the Women’s Empowerment in Cybersecurity initiative – a collaboration to challenge stereotypes, strengthen leadership pathways and create concrete opportunities for women and girls to enter, advance and lead in cybersecurity. The event further spotlighted women’s leadership in cybersecurity and the importance of recognizing good practice in advancing women’s participation in the sector.
Tackling the barriers that keep women out of cybersecurity
Cybersecurity has become a foundation of modern economies and societies, shaping the safety of public services, financial systems, communications, critical infrastructure and the digital spaces where people increasingly live, learn, work and participate. Yet women remain significantly underrepresented in this field, accounting for only about 24 per cent of the global cybersecurity workforce, while as many as 16 per cent of cybersecurity teams have no women at all.
This gap is not only a workforce challenge. It is a question of equality, economic opportunity, and digital resilience. At a time when demand for cybersecurity skills continues to grow, excluding women from the sector means leaving talent, innovation and leadership untapped. Diverse teams where women and girls are empowered are better positioned to anticipate risks, design inclusive solutions and strengthen trust in the digital systems that increasingly shape people’s lives.
From participation to leadership
The Women’s Empowerment in Cybersecurity collaboration responds to persistent barriers that limit women’s pathways into the cybersecurity sector. These barriers begin early and compound over time. Girls may be discouraged from building digital skills. Young women may lack mentors, role models or access to professional networks. Women already working in the sector may face bias in hiring, promotion and leadership opportunities. Addressing underrepresentation therefore requires more than expanding training alone; it requires shifting perceptions, opening pathways and transforming the systems that shape opportunity.
Through this collaboration, UN Women and the Global Cybersecurity Forum will work together to help transform how women and girls are seen, supported and empowered in cybersecurity – as experts, decision-makers, and leaders shaping their future direction. The collaboration aims to reach up to 6 million women and girls worldwide, mobilizing multistakeholder partners and networks to challenge stereotypes and expand opportunities for all women and girls.
The partnership also builds on UN Women’s longstanding leadership in advancing gender equality in the digital age. The collaboration is closely aligned with the Beijing+30 Action Agenda’s call to strengthen women’s leadership and participation in digital technologies, the outcomes of the 67th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW67) on innovation, technological change and education in the digital age, and the Global Digital Compact’s vision of an inclusive and equitable digital future for all.
At a time when technology is reshaping every aspect of our lives, ensuring that women have an equal opportunity to help secure the digital future is both an urgent challenge and a powerful opportunity.
A more secure digital future will not be built by some of us. It will be built by all of us.
