CISA and Girls Who Code Partner to Create Career Pathways for Young Women

PRESS RELEASE

September 30, 2021

WASHINGTON – The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) announced a new partnership today with Girls Who Code (GWC) to develop pathways for young women to pursue careers in cybersecurity and technology. This partnership will seek to tackle diversity disparities by working to heighten the awareness of cybersecurity and technology careers, and working with employers to build tangible pathways for young women, especially young women of color, to get hands-on experience in the private sector, the non-profit sector, or government.

Through this partnership, CISA and Girls Who Code will establish collaborative opportunities that will provide awareness, training, and pathways into cybersecurity careers for girls, women and those who identify as nonbinary.

“One of my top priorities at CISA is to inspire more women and girls to pursue careers in cybersecurity and technology,” said CISA Director Jen Easterly. “The gender gap that exists in the cybersecurity workforce contributes to the overall cyber workforce shortage that persists in the United States and globally, which ultimately makes us less prepared to deal with the threats of today and tomorrow. I couldn’t be more excited about our partnership with Girls Who Code to help build the next generation of cyber talent where young women, everywhere, can see themselves in cyber.”

“We're thrilled by the opportunity to collaborate with CISA, creating career pathways and empowering young women, and especially young women of color, to seek out exciting, 21st-century jobs in technology and cybersecurity,” said Dr. Tarika Barrett, CEO of Girls Who Code. “At Girls Who Code, we imagine a world where our computer science classrooms are as diverse as our communities; a world where women in computing careers have a sisterhood to lean on; and a world where that sisterhood creates real change for communities everywhere. This partnership with CISA is a strong step in making that future a reality.”

Both CISA and Girls Who Code are committed to closing the gender gap that persists in the cybersecurity workforce, by bringing more talented young women into the workforce to prepare our nation to defend against the threats of today and tomorrow.

Last month during a meeting with President Biden, private sector and education leaders made commitments to help in the Administration’s whole-of-nation effort to address cybersecurity threats. Girls Who Code announced it will establish a micro credentialing program for historically excluded groups in technology and make scholarships and early career opportunities more accessible to underrepresented groups.

About the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency

Established in 2018, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) leads the national effort to protect and enhance the resilience of the nation's physical and cyber infrastructure. The Agency builds national capacity to defend against cyber attacks and works with other federal agencies to provide cybersecurity tools, incident response services and assessment capabilities to safeguard the ‘.gov’ networks that support the essential operations of partner departments and agencies. For more information, visit www.cisa.gov.

Follow CISA on Twitter @CISAgov.

About Girls Who Code

Girls Who Code is an international nonprofit organization working to close the gender gap in technology, and leading the movement to inspire, educate, and equip young women with the computing skills needed to pursue 21st century opportunities.

Since launching in 2012, Girls Who Code has reached 450,000 girls through our in-person programming and we have nearly 90,000 college-aged alumni. We have sparked culture change through marketing campaigns and advocacy efforts, generating 13 Billion engagements globally. In 2018, the organization was named the #1 Most Innovative Non-Profit on Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies list.

Follow the organization on social media @GirlsWhoCode.