Cyber Pathways for Women

At the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, a Round Table on Cyber  Pathways for Women was held in front of an audience of about 40 representatives from university technical faculties, critical infrastructure, employers in information technology, and related associations, including student groups. On this occasion, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, along with Cyber Pathways for Women—an activity of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Critical Infrastructure Digitalization and Resilience (CIDR) program—announced the formation of a multi-year task force to develop professional and academic pathways for women and girls to enter the cybersecurity profession.

The presentation covered the results of research and recommendations from CIDR, describing factors contributing to male dominance in the field of cybersecurity. These factors include decisions and pressures during childhood that steer girls away from technology-focused education, as well as workplace norms and circumstances that discriminate against women.
According to the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, Serbia faces increasing demand for cybersecurity professionals, as well as a shortage of women in this profession. For example, in 2022, women represented only 30.7 percent of students in post-secondary education fields related to information and communication technologies.

Encouraging girls and women towards careers in cybersecurity could significantly help Serbia meet its growing need for cybersecurity professionals," said Naida Zecevic-Bean, Director of the Office for Democratic and Economic Growth, USAID Serbia. "We hope that the Cyber Pathways Task Force can help Serbia achieve this—by bringing together the knowledge and experience of relevant businesses, academic institutions, and government agencies."In addition to reviewing research and discussing workforce needs in cybersecurity, the Cyber Pathways for Women, Round Table influenced the recruitment of task force members and future partners in the development of the cybersecurity workforce.The task force will convene as a whole and in subgroups to develop cybersecurity curriculum and mentorship programs, as well as to address topics such as sociocultural factors affecting women's employment in cybersecurity and employers' information security needs.

"We have a great opportunity to develop future talent in cybersecurity by opening the career field to those whose talents have been underutilized," said Sanja Kekic, Manager of Cyber Pathways for Women. 
"By increasing the number of women and girls in educational institutions and the cybersecurity profession, we will meet the future needs of businesses, government, and critical infrastructure and help secure our essential services from cyber attacks."
USAID's CIDR program collaborates with partner countries in Eastern Europe to accelerate the development of the cybersecurity workforce, empower organizations to identify and respond to cybersecurity threats, strengthen cybersecurity governance, and facilitate the sharing of cyber threat information.