“Women belong everywhere where decisions are made. Women should not be an exception.” These words were said by the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg in 2009. It’s still valid.
Women make up half of the population and offer unique skills and perspectives that cannot be overlooked. The privacy profession is one of the rare fields where men and women are relatively equal. It’s a breath of fresh air when you attend a privacy conference and see a 50/50 split between men and women. Ten years ago, when I attended a legal conference, this was not the case. It would be a group of men wearing dark suits.
by International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP), the privacy profession is almost evenly split between men and women, and women are equally represented at the management level. An even more interesting fact, especially for women looking to secure a career path within their industry, is that there are currently more female Chief Privacy Officers (CPOs) than there are male girlfriend CPOs. While privacy professionals continue to foster an atmosphere of opportunity for men and women, adjacent sectors, especially security, need to catch up.
The security field, like many other technology fields, remains male-dominated. According to , as of 2022, only 25% of cybersecurity professionals worldwide are women. cyber crime magazineand this number is expected to increase to just 30% by 2025.
Privacy professionals play a key role in advocating for women’s participation in the technology industry, particularly in the cybersecurity field. By giving women a seat at the table, we have the potential to enrich our industry with unique perspectives, talents and skills, and strengthen collaboration between adjacent sectors such as privacy and cybersecurity. . As privacy professionals, we’re happy to see more women in cybersecurity leadership positions, such as chief information security officers (CISOs), because privacy and security often go hand in hand. Having female perspectives and contributors at all levels and areas of the business is important, and I look forward to the day when companies with an average 50-50 split on their executive teams are the norm rather than the exception. . The main attraction is probably her CPO and CISO!
Here are my best tips for women to continue to raise standards and strive towards a more gender-equal world in terms of privacy and security.
For managers and leaders
Women supporting women: Lead by example and lead by example. Identify women within your company who can be developed and mentored to provide leadership potential. Be their advocate and support their training and leadership development.
Supports education and certification-based training opportunities. As a leader, one of the best ways to cultivate a diverse talent pipeline is to break down barriers to entry, such as skills-based training and education requirements. This includes providing skills-based training rather than just accepting a university degree, participating in youth education programs such as Girls Who Code, and providing opportunities to continue education within the workplace. will appear.
Create a safe space for diverse thinking. Successful teams create a space where people can share their opinions and welcome diversity of thought and experience. It’s great to have different opinions on your team. Team members should have opinions and views on privacy and security, and should not be afraid to share them.
Encourage mentoring: If you are able, become a mentor to up-and-coming colleagues. Mentorship is often mutually beneficial for both parties.
For candidates
find inspiration and mentors: Find someone whose career you want to mirror. Do you have goals or milestones you can achieve in the next few years? Find a mentor and learn from what they’ve already experienced. They are already working to raise the glass ceiling, and you can follow in their footsteps.
Establish a relationship currency. Once you secure a position, establish an advocate or sponsor within your team or company. Do the work and make sure your advocates and sponsors know the results of your work so they can vouch for you. A good advocate/sponsor needs to see your work, believe in it, and develop a genuine relationship with you. The advocate/sponsor must have the power and authority to promote you and promote you. Exceeding expectations in terms of your performance, combined with the support of your supporters, can lead to faster growth in your career.
Stay up to date with industry trends: Keep your team and managers informed. Learn passionately and follow key thought leaders within your industry. I found the best way to do this via his LinkedIn. I started with the top 10 people in my industry, followed them, and now follow his network of over 100 key influencers within the privacy industry. They provide valuable insights on a regular basis.
keep learning forever: Absorb as much information as possible in all available formats. Attend webinars and events covering topics and issues important to your industry. The privacy landscape is constantly changing, and intellectual curiosity is a key advantage.
continue! Change doesn’t happen overnight, but as long as we continue to raise standards and challenge bias, we will continue to move forward. Research shows that improved gender equality contributes to broader economic benefits, increased productivity, often higher profits, and better problem-solving.Massachusetts Institute of Technology/scientific american). For security and privacy professionals, ensuring diversity of thought and expertise enables teams to be more effective and prepared to address an ever-growing list of threats and challenges. It is our duty to bridge this gap for the sake of a better future for our industry and future generations.