Early exposure is crucial for girls interested in cybersecurity. | Patrick Amoy on Unsplash
What you probably already know: Only 22% of cybersecurity professionals are women. That’s less than the overall tech sector, where women hold 27% of the jobs. Girls Who Code is out to change that. The New York-based nonprofit has an audacious goal through its Five By Five program: to reach 5 million girls, women and nonbinary individuals by 2030, which it says will close the entry-level tech gender gap by 2030. Since its founding in 2012, Girls Who Code has already served 760,000 girls, women and nonbinary individuals, with 330,000 college- and career-aged alumni. The organization recently conducted a survey of more than 2,000 teenage girls, “Breaking Barriers: Girls and the Future of Cybersecurity,” to gauge their awareness and understanding of cybersecurity. It found that many held misconceptions about careers in the field and lacked confidence in their tech skills.
Why it matters: Jen Easterly, former director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency — a division of the Department of Homeland Security — says the under representation is as much about national security as engagement. “But this is not just a challenge. It’s also an opportunity,” she writes. “By bringing more girls into cybersecurity, we strengthen our workforce.” Girls’ interest in cybersecurity peaks around the ages of 15 and 16, with 70% expressing interest in the field. However, many find it too stressful and demanding and are less likely than boys to view it as “cool and exciting.” But when girls gain a deeper understanding, their interest skyrockets from 50% to 85%.
What it means: Girls most familiar with cybersecurity are 16 times more likely to have discovered careers through training offered by extracurricular organizations including Girls Who Code, but fewer than one-third participate in those types of programs. The gaps mirror studies that indicate that girls tend to lose confidence in STEM subjects during early adolescence and feel less belonging in those fields than boys. At the same time, Girls Who Code research shows that both girls and boys perform basic cybersecurity tasks, including avoiding suspicious links, protecting personal data, updating software and adjusting privacy settings at similar rates, suggesting a gap between girls’ confidence in their technical skills and their actual behaviors.
What happens next: The report calls for more educational programs outside of the classroom for girls between the ages of 13 and 16, noting that raising cybersecurity awareness is important, but programs must also give girls opportunities to gain in-depth knowledge of careers and daily responsibilities. "You can't be what you can't see, and right now, girls aren't seeing themselves in cybersecurity,” Girls Who Code CEO Dr. Tarika Barrett says. “What they are seeing suggests that the field is too technical, stressful or simply not for them. Girls are eager to protect people, solve problems, and make a difference. It's time to change the picture of who belongs in cyber and lock in their interest before the gender gap widens.”
