Alessandra Chirico, PhD
There is something profoundly inspiring about living and being able to tell the story of a collective commitment that, day by day, becomes a shared success. A story born from a simple yet powerful intuition: to create a safe, inclusive, and forward-looking space for women in the world of cybersecurity. This is how Women4Cyber came to life — a network that today, with pride and determination, stands as one of the most credible actors in the European digital landscape.
From Brussels, where I have the privilege of working with Women4Cyber Italia in close cooperation with the Women4Cyber Foundation — our “Alma Mother” — and the various national chapters, this growth is palpable. It is not just a matter of numbers — although they are indeed impressive — but of energy, ideas, and relationships. It is a movement gaining ground with steady resolve, becoming a recognized voice at key decision-making tables, and a trusted presence within the EU cybersecurity ecosystem and far beyond.
The recently released 2024 Impact Report, previewed by the Women4Cyber Foundation, captures this momentum vividly. The figures speak for themselves: over 70,000 members in the community, a 40% increase in social media engagement, more than 1,800 mentees supported along their professional journey, five scholarships awarded for advanced degrees, and over 200 participants at the annual conference. These are not merely numbers; they are tangible symbols of impact, turning into real opportunities, ongoing dialogue, and genuine empowerment.
Behind each figure lie faces, stories, and partnerships — with organizations, companies, universities, research centers, and institutions. And of course, the 33 national chapters (including the highly dynamic Women4Cyber Italia) are the driving force of an increasingly widespread and cross-cutting network. A network that works because it is rooted in a deep connection between vision and action, that knows how to value differences, and that speaks both the language of competence and that of passion.
This vision materializes through initiatives like the Youth Ambassadors Program and the Mentorship Program — tangible bridges to the future that strengthen the Women4Cyber community by fostering best practice exchange across chapters and promoting inter-generational dialogue with young professionals.
The strength of these initiatives also lies in their ability to take shape at the national level while being nurtured through continuous chapter-to-chapter dialogue. Each chapter retains its autonomy within the broader Community, yet works closely with the others to advance a shared mission. A compelling example of this grassroots-building is the role of the Scientific and Technical Committee ("Comitato Tecnico Scientifico" - CTS) within Women4Cyber Italia, acting as a strategic interface with the academic world — a true engine of knowledge, research, and innovation. The CTS helps reinforce the bridge between theory and practice, vision and action. Initiatives born within individual chapters thus find fertile ground to grow and expand beyond national borders. In particular, the CTS is increasingly becoming a reference point for exploring today’s pressing cybersecurity issues. Its work not only feeds academic discourse but also supports Europe-wide projects, enabling the dissemination of knowledge and best practices throughout the Community.
And the journey doesn’t stop here. Women4Cyber is continuing to invest in tools like Road2Cyber │ Powered by ECSO and Women4Cyber, a platform designed to connect job seekers in cybersecurity with career opportunities, integrating training, guidance, and professional matchmaking. Because we firmly believe that talent, when supported and guided, can spark lasting change.
Sharing this story is a true privilege. It’s the story of an ambitious vision that has become a solid reality — a vision that has grown into a structure, a community, an identity. Today, Women4Cyber is more than an organization: it is a transnational movement — looking beyond EU borders, continuing to grow and inspire, and striving to build a digital future that is secure and inclusive for all.