Duke University and the Global Cybersecurity Forum (GCF) have launched a global research project to advance knowledge on women’s participation in the cybersecurity workforce.
The research findings will support the development of evidence-based strategies for global decision-makers to address the worldwide shortage of 2.8 million cybersecurity professionals in which women are significantly underrepresented. The announcement was made during the Digital Summit Latam, which took place on February 26-27, 2025, in Madrid.
The research, led by the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University, builds on GCF’s previous global study in 2022, which surveyed women in STEM in 26 countries to gather insights on opportunities to enhance women’s participation in the cybersecurity workforce.
This latest study expands data collection amongst a wide sample of women across public and private sectors in Latin America, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, and Paraguay, surveying both women working in cybersecurity and those not currently working in the field. In doing so, the study aims to deepen global understanding of the obstacles to bridging the cybersecurity workforce gap and offer actionable insights to aid in making cybersecurity a viable career focus for women.
Underscoring its urgency, GCF’s 2024 Cybersecurity Workforce Report recently revealed that there is a global talent shortage of 2.8 million cybersecurity professionals, whilst women only represent 24% of the workforce.
“We believe that our research will not only help address the global talent shortage in cybersecurity but also foster innovation and cyber resilience,” said Duke University’s David Hoffman. “Through our partnership, we are leveraging our combined expertise to advance gender diversity and inclusion in cybersecurity through evidence-based strategies that encourage women to pursue careers in this far-reaching field.”
Importantly, the research collaboration will advance knowledge critical to the Women Empowerment in Cybersecurity (WEC) initiative, instated by Saudi Arabia’s PM, Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud. Overseen by GCF, WEC seeks to strengthen the safety and resilience of Cyberspace by empowering more women to work in the sector.
“We are pleased to partner with Duke University on this important project that will underpin efforts to empower women in cybersecurity worldwide,” said GCF’s Alaa M. Alfaadhel. “By expanding the scope of our previous research to incorporate diverse regional perspectives, we aim to develop insights that can help global decision-making and lead to actionable strategies to empower more women to pursue careers in this field and ultimately strengthen global cyber resilience by addressing the significant workforce gap.”
