This is part of our ongoing coverage of #InternationalWomensDay.
We heard from Liat Hayun, co-founder and CEO of Eureka Security, on how female cyber leaders can cut through the noise in cyber and successfully lead. She also shares how young women early in their careers can look overcome the obstacles of a male-dominated field.
“I attribute my success to my constant curiosity and see my role as a female cybersecurity entrepreneur to set an example for young women and men who may want to enter this field but see barriers instead of opportunities. I want to lead by example and inspire other women on their journeys in tech. I believe that as more women challenge gender prejudices in the industry, we will begin to see that those norms will change, for the betterment of everyone. I call on men in the industry to hold their company to a higher standard by being part of the solution instead of exacerbating the problem and I challenge them to be mindful of the gender gap and be proactive in ensuring that their female colleagues are given the same opportunities that they are given, which includes equal pay.
If certain roles, subject matters and disciplines are not open and available to women, this is where the gender gap thrives and expands. And this is unfortunately seen in the technology sector as women are significantly underrepresented. This in and of itself is a huge deterrent.
The road to recovery and inclusion must begin at the institutional level. Women should be given the same opportunities as men in all capacities, including participating on panels, speaking events, conferences and of course, as managers and leaders within the organization itself.
I leave all young women aspiring to succeed in a male-dominated field with this: If you work hard, persevere and continue to perfect your technological and managerial abilities, it shouldn't matter what your gender is. I hope young girls can look at me and see that as a female founder I have done it and they can too. They can set ambitious goals for themselves and work hard to achieve them and not think twice about it, especially to not let their gender get in the way.”
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