The research consistently highlights the gender
disparity in cybersecurity leadership roles, necessitating targeted
interventions. Biased recruitment practices, limited STEM education
opportunities for girls, and workplace culture contribute to this gap. Proposed
solutions include addressing biased recruitment through gender-neutral language
and blind processes, promoting STEM education for girls to increase qualified
female candidates, and fostering inclusive workplace cultures with mentorship
and sponsorship programs. Gender parity is crucial for the industry’s success,
as embracing diversity enables the cybersecurity sector to leverage various
perspectives, drive innovation, and effectively combat cyber threats. Achieving
this balance is not just about fairness but also a strategic imperative. By
embracing concerted efforts towards gender parity, we can create a more
resilient and impactful cybersecurity landscape, benefiting industry and
society.
References
[1]
Beveridge, R. (2021) Addressing the Gender Gap in the Cybersecurity Workforce. International Journal of Cyber Research and Education, 3, 54-61. https://doi.org/10.4018/ijcre.2021070105
[2]
Radu, C. and Smaili, N. (2021) Board Gender Diversity and Corporate Response to Cyber Risk: Evidence from Cybersecurity Related Disclosure. Journal of Business Ethics, 177, 351-374. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10551-020-04717-9
[3]
Berríos, N. (2019) Increasing the Participation of Young Women in Cybersecurity. 1-12. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12475/311
[4]
Merayo, N. and Ayuso, A. (2022) Analysis of Barriers, Supports and Gender Gap in the Choice of STEM Studies in Secondary Education. International Journal of Technology and Design Education, 33, 1471-1498. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10798-022-09776-9
[5]
Moghaddam, Y., Kwan, S., Freund, L. and Russell, M.G. (2021) A Proposed Roadmap to Close the Gap between Undergraduate Education and STEM Employment across Industry Sectors. In: Leitner, C., Ganz, W., Satterfield, D. and Bassano, C., Eds., Advances in the Human Side of Service Engineering. AHFE 2021. Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems, Vol. 266, Springer, Cham, 363-373. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-80840-2_42
[6]
Maraj, A., Sutherland, C. and Butler, W. (2021) Studying the Challenges and Factors Encouraging Girls in Cybersecurity: A Case Study. European Conference on Cyber Warfare and Security, 24-25 June 2021, 269-277. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=wCo4EAAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA269&dq=Maraj,+A.,+Sutherland,+C.+and+Butler,+W.+(2021)+Studying+the+Challenges+and+Factors+Encouraging+Girls+in+Cybersecurity:+A+Case+Study&ots=_XSawgaFYR&sig=ntOiNXXLdPxkFc0aD7on_MvvsUQ#v=onepage&q&f=false
[7]
Montañez, R., Golob, E. and Xu, S. (2020) Human Cognition through the Lens of Social Engineering Cyberattacks. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, Article 1755. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01755
[8]
Hunt, V., Prince, S., Dixon-Fyle, S. and Dolan, K. (2020) Diversity Wins: How Inclusion Matters. http://dln.jaipuria.ac.in:8080/jspui/bitstream/123456789/1340/1/McKinsey%20Report%20-%20Diversity-wins-How-inclusion-matters.pdf
[9]
Böhm, S., Linnyk, O., Kohl, J., Weber, T., Teetz, I., Bandurka, K. and Kersting, M. (2020) Analysing Gender Bias in IT Job Postings. Proceedings of the 2020 on Computers and People Research Conference, Nuremberg, 19-21 June 2020, 72-80. https://doi.org/10.1145/3378539.3393862
[10]
Turner, R. and M’manga, A. (2022) Requirements for a Platform That Improves the Number of Young Women Entering Cybersecurity. The 35th International BCS Human-Computer Interaction Conference, Keele, Staffordshire, 11-13 July 2022, 1-4. https://doi.org/10.14236/ewic/HCI2022.41
[11]
Kshetri, N., Chhetri, M. and Kshetri, N. (2022) Gender Asymmetry in Cybersecurity: Socioeconomic Causes and Consequences. Computer, 55, 72-77. https://doi.org/10.1109/mc.2021.3127992
[12]
Lyon, V. (2020) Exploring Strategies for Recruiting and Retaining Diverse Cybersecurity Professionals. Ph.D. Thesis, Walden University, Minneapolis. https://search.proquest.com/openview/86d84d20c21827e82b25cc2a5261205d/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750&diss=y
[13]
El Arnaout, N., Chehab, R. F., Rafii, B. and Alameddine, M. (2019) Gender Equity in Planning, Development and Management of Human Resources for Health: A Scoping Review. Human Resources for Health, 17, Article No. 52. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12960-019-0391-3
[14]
Breese, J.L., Conforti, M. and Peslak, A. (2020) An Exploration of Gender Bias in Information Technology Job Advertisements. Issues in Information Systems, 21, 189-199. https://iacis.org/iis/2020/3_iis_2020_189-199
[15]
Gaucher, D., Friesen, J. and Kay, A.C. (2011) Evidence That Gendered Wording in Job Advertisements Exists and Sustains Gender Inequality. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 101, 109-128. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022530
[16]
Son Hing, L.S., Sakr, N., Sorenson, J.B., Stamarski, C.S., Caniera, K. and Colaco, C. (2023) Gender Inequities in the Workplace: A Holistic Review of Organizational Processes and Practices. Human Resource Management Review, 33, Article ID: 100968. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2023.100968
