Recap: Breakfast Event Encrypting Equality: Uniting Women in Cybersecurity

The Netherlands faces a long way to go when it comes to diversity in the IT sector. The industry is still dominated by men. It has been proven that diversity in teams in terms of gender, background and age, enhances innovation and creativity in teams. To draw attention to this, the Breakfast Event Encrypting Equality: Uniting Women in Cybersecurity event took place on the first day of Cybersecurity week 2025 at the HSD Campus in The Hague.

The event provided a valuable platform to engage in dialogue on diversity within the sector, share experiences, and inspire one another to take concrete actions towards greater inclusivity. Both men and women participated with the shared goal of building a more diverse and inclusive cybersecurity community. The gathering was organised by All the Cyber Ladies, the Municipality of The Hague, and Women4Cyber Netherlands., in collaboration with Security Delta (HSD).

Manifest '50/50 by 2025'

The programme started with a nice breakfast, and warm welcome by Ilse Parra (Woman4Cyber Foundation) & Lucinda Sterk (All the Cyber Ladies) and Saïda van Kalsbeek (Municipality of The Hague). After the welcome talk, a global manifest with the theme: '50/50 by 2025' was introduced to the participants with call to sign the manifest with the aim of closing the persistent gender gap in the industry by fostering equal and equitable opportunities, representation, and advancement for women. The Women4Cyber declaration is a initiative to foster diversity, support women’s participation in cybersecurity, and create a safer digital world for everyone. By signing this declaration, The Netherlands shows her support.

Guest speakers

Following the plenary opening, guest speakers Darina Konakchiyska (QS Solutions) and Bessie Schenk (Modat) took the stage. Darina shared an inspiring personal story about successfully pivoting from a different career into the field of cybersecurity, offering a powerful example of resilience and growth. She was followed by Bessie Schenk, who presented insights from Modat’s most recent research, Exposed to the Bare Bone, which revealed that over 1.2 million healthcare devices and systems are accessible on the open internet. Speaking on behalf of her team, Bessie highlighted the significance of these findings and their implications for cybersecurity

The event ended with a networking session, giving all participants the chance to meet each other, share ideas, and make new connections. For those who want to know more about career opportunities, the website www.securitytalent.nl  and www.cybersecuritywerkt.nl are of interest. It offers an overview of education, training, vacancies, internships and a career navigator.

HSD & Woman4Cyber Partnership

Security Delta (HSD) and Woman4Cyber have signed an alliance partnership agreement for further collaboration concerning diversitiy in the cybersecurity domain. In addition, HSD General Director, Joris den Bruinen, signed the Manifest and was presented with a sweatshirt from All The Cyber Ladies.