The United States Telecommunications Training Institute (USTTI) has joined forces with the Global Cybersecurity Forum (GCF) to launch a new initiative designed to boost the representation of women in cybersecurity leadership worldwide. The announcement was made at the Meet GCF New York event, which took place on February 18 at the United Nations Headquarters. During this event, global leaders and diplomats gathered to discuss the most pressing opportunities and challenges in the world of cyberspace.
The partnership will focus on the ‘Empowering Women to Leadership in Cyber’ program, which aims to offer high-impact global training opportunities to emerging female leaders in cybersecurity. The program will be delivered through in-person training sessions, with contributions from a wide range of partners, including industry experts, civil society, and academia. It is part of the broader Women Empowerment in Cybersecurity (WEC) initiative, launched by His Royal Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia. This initiative aims to help address the global shortage of cybersecurity professionals by empowering women to take on leadership roles in the field.
Jim O’Connor, Chairman and CEO of USTTI, expressed the importance of this collaboration: “The USTTI is honored to partner with GCF to address this critically important issue. Utilizing our collective expertise, the USTTI-GCF partnership will provide training and mentorship that will empower women to be active leaders in the cybersecurity workforce. In doing so we are confident that we will strengthen cybersecurity globally.”
Alaa M. Alfaadhel, Head of Program and Initiatives at GCF, also highlighted the significance of the new partnership: “We welcome this global partnership, uniting GCF with USTTI to advance women’s leadership in cybersecurity, foster cross-border knowledge sharing, and increase cyber resilience worldwide. Empowering women’s leadership in cyber is essential to addressing the global cybersecurity workforce shortage—where women remain significantly underrepresented—and to strengthening cyber resilience for all.”
About USTTI: USTTI is a non-profit organisation supported by both the US government and industry. Its mission is to provide tuition-free training for individuals in developing economies who are responsible for designing, regulating, and securing communications sectors.
About GCF: GCF is a global non-profit organisation dedicated to strengthening cyber resilience. It works to advance international collaboration and foster meaningful dialogue among cybersecurity stakeholders. GCF plays a crucial role in tackling the challenges that arise in cyberspace, with a focus on building a safer, more prosperous digital environment for all nations.
