Breaking Cybersecurity’s Gender Barriers: UN Women and GCF Back Women’s Leadership

Women account for only about 24 per cent of the global cybersecurity workforce, and as many as 16 per cent of cybersecurity teams have no women at all, according to figures cited in the announcement.

The systems protecting bank accounts, public services and everyday communications depend on cybersecurity professionals, making access to this growing field a question of both economic opportunity and public safety. UN Women and the Global Cybersecurity Forum have signed a partnership to expand women's participation and leadership in the sector, with a collaboration that seeks to reach up to six million women and girls worldwide.

The agreement was signed on 22 September 2026 at United Nations Headquarters during a high-level event on the sidelines of the 81st UN General Assembly. UN Women Executive Director Sima Bahous and Global Cybersecurity Forum CEO Abdurahman AlHassan signed the partnership, which launched the Women's Empowerment in Cybersecurity initiative to challenge stereotypes and create opportunities for women and girls to enter the profession, advance in their careers and become leaders.

A Critical Sector Missing Women's Talent

Women account for only about 24 per cent of the global cybersecurity workforce, and as many as 16 per cent of cybersecurity teams have no women at all, according to figures cited in the announcement. These gaps leave a substantial pool of talent underrepresented in a profession that helps protect financial systems, communications, critical infrastructure and the digital spaces people use for learning, work and participation in society.

The partnership presents women's inclusion as an essential part of building economic stability, public trust and resilience against digital threats. Growing demand for cybersecurity skills makes the exclusion of women a lost opportunity for employers and communities, limiting the experience and ideas available to address emerging risks. Teams that include and empower women are better positioned to anticipate different threats, develop solutions that serve more people and strengthen confidence in digital systems, the announcement said.

Barriers Begin Before the First Job

For many girls, the obstacles begin before a cybersecurity career becomes a realistic possibility, through discouragement from developing digital skills or narrow ideas about who belongs in technology. Young women can struggle to find mentors, role models and professional networks, leaving them without the guidance and connections that help turn an interest into a career. Women already employed in the sector may encounter bias in recruitment, promotion and access to leadership positions.

The initiative recognises that training alone cannot remove barriers built into perceptions and workplace practices, making changes to the systems governing opportunity part of its approach. UN Women and the Global Cybersecurity Forum will mobilise partners and networks to expand opportunities and strengthen recognition of women as experts, decision-makers and leaders. The launch event also highlighted the importance of recognising effective practices that help women participate and progress in cybersecurity.

Opening Routes to Leadership

Reaching up to six million women and girls is the collaboration's stated ambition, with its focus extending from access to the profession through to influence over its future direction. Creating stronger leadership pathways means giving women opportunities to shape decisions about the technologies and security systems that affect their lives, alongside support for entering and building careers in the field.

The agreement builds on UN Women's work on gender equality in the digital age and connects with several international commitments. These include the Beijing+30 Action Agenda's call for greater women's leadership and participation in digital technologies, the outcomes of the 67th Commission on the Status of Women concerning innovation, technological change and education, and the Global Digital Compact's vision of an inclusive and equitable digital future.

The partnership places equal opportunity within the wider challenge of securing an increasingly connected world, where decisions made by cybersecurity teams affect people far beyond the workplace. Helping more women enter those teams and lead them can broaden the talent available to protect essential services, strengthen public trust and give more people a role in shaping a safer digital future.