All around the world, women are using digital technology to innovate. To celebrate these achievements, the SecDev Foundation will be featuring inspiring women and their work every day in March. The campaign Cyber Women reflects the International Women’s Day 2018 theme of #PressforProgress by showcasing women who are making a difference with and in technology.
Across the globe, women are leveraging the internet to drive change and make their voices heard. The pace of innovation is astounding. Our Cyber Women campaign shines a light on some of the established and emerging leaders, who are role models for us all.
Deirdre Collings, Executive Director, The SecDev Foundation
A report last year by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association entitled “The Future Tech Workforce: Breaking Gender Barriers”, found that a lack of mentors and female role models in technology were the two most common barriers faced by women getting into the field. The campaign Cyber Women aims to help address this by raising awareness for some of the great women working in technology, particular up-and-coming leaders.
Ally Watson & Vanessa Doake
Co-Founders of Code Like a Girl
Anita Borg
Internet pioneer and champion of women in technology
Anne Condon
Award winning Irish-Canadian computer scientist contributing to complexity theory
Anne Kjær Riechert
Founder of the School of Digital Integration
Binta Coudy Dé
Co-Founder of Jigguène Tech
Daphne Caruana Galizia
The journalist behind the Panama Papers
Diana Barran
Founder of SafeLives
ElsaMarie D’Silva
Founder of Safecity
Emily May
Founder of Hollaback and HeartMob
Engy Ghozlan
Co-Founder of HarrassMap
Esta Soler
Founder of Futures Without Violence
Fereshteh Forough
Founder of Code to Inspire
Ire Aderinokun
Nigeria’s first female Google Developer Expert
Jac sm Kee
Co-Founder of Take Back the Tech!
Jennifer Argüello
Champion of women and minorities in technology
Mariana Costa Checa
Co-Founder and CEO of laboratoria
Mary Ann Horton
Usenet and internet pioneer
Matilda Ho
Founder of Yimishiji
Mehvish Mushtaq
Creator Dial Kashmir
Nancy Payne
COO of the PeaceTech Lab
Nancy Schwartzman
Co-Developer of Circle of 6
Ngo Thuy Ngoc Tu
Co-Developer of award winning app ELSA
Nnenna Nwakanma
Co-Founder of the African Civil Society for the Information Society
Roya Mahboob
Founder of The Digital Citizen Fund
Radia Perlman
Inventor of the spanning-tree protocol
Rukayat Sadiq
Co-Leader of Ladies in Tech and Lagos Women in Machine Learning & Data Science
Renee Black
Co-Founder of PeaceGeeks
Sarah al-Hourani
SalamaTech digital first responder inside Syria teaching other women how to communicate online safely and effectively
Shelley Taylor
Creator of the Refugee Aid App
Vanessa Hurst
Co-Founder of Girl Develop It
Zeynep Tufekci
A leading techno-sociologist and researcher
Zhong Sheng
Founder of Bottledream
The SecDev Foundation wants better digital futures for all. We operate globally – with civil society networks, industry and governments – to help local communities pursue digital opportunity, inclusion and peace. We also work to ensure all of our partners and beneficiaries – especially women and youth – have the skills and knowledge they need to protect themselves from digital harm. The SecDev Foundation is a Canada-based NGO with current operational programming in the Middle East, Southeast Asia, and the Eurasian region.
Each of the GIFs celebrating achievements by women in technology were designed using a person’s portrait found online. The portraits were converted into a graffiti style.
There are many talented women in the field of technology and one month isn’t enough to celebrate them all. That’s why we are also asking who inspires you? Visit the website to share with us other women who inspire you!