What are the Women in Cyber Awards?

Advancing women’s participation and leadership in cybersecurity is critical for cyber resilience worldwide. To strengthen global action, the Women in Cyber Awards - an initiative by GCF with the support of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and UN Women – is recognizing excellence in strengthening women’s participation, leadership, and impact in cybersecurity.

Who delivers the Awards?

A committee with representatives from GCF, the ITU and UN Women is overseeing the end-to-end Awards process and facilitating each stage from application submissions to the winners’ announcement.

How do the Awards support the WEC initiative?

The Awards strengthen global action to achieve the strategic objectives of the Women Empowerment in Cybersecurity (WEC) initiative, instated by HRH Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, Crown Prince and Prime Minister of Saudi Arabia, and implemented by GCF. WEC aims to strengthen global cyber resilience by addressing the talent gap worldwide and increasing women’s meaningful participation in cybersecurity.

Category and Tracks

What is the 2026 award category?

The 2026 category is “Women’s Cyber Empowerment Champion”, which recognizes organizations that have demonstrably strengthened the participation, advancement, and long-term success of women in cybersecurity through measurable and sustainable initiatives.

What are the four tracks?

The four Award tracks are:

Pipeline Builder Award (Early Talent Development)
Recognizes organizations that create early pathways into cybersecurity for girls and young women.
Advocacy Champion Award (Visibility & Recognition)
Recognizes organizations that strengthen the visibility and inclusion of women in cybersecurity.
Workforce Enablement Award (Upskilling & Middle Management Support)
Recognizes organizations that help women enter, grow in, and remain in cybersecurity roles.
Leadership & Entrepreneurship Award (Executive Growth & Women-Led Ventures)
Recognizes organizations that support women in advancing into cybersecurity leadership and entrepreneurship.

What kind of initiatives are the judges looking for?

The organization’s efforts must have demonstrated measurable reach and influence within the past 24 months. Details on eligible initiatives for each track can be found on the application portal.

Eligibility and Applications

Who can apply?

The applicant must be a registered legal entity as an independent organization, institution, company, NGO, academic body, investor, or public-sector entity.

Can I be considered for more than one of the four Award tracks?

Organizations may apply to multiple award tracks. Only one application per track is considered per applicant, and where multiple versions are submitted in the same track, only the latest is evaluated. A single applicant may only be selected as a winner once.

If the project was implemented with partners, who should apply?

The applicant should be the organization representing the project throughout the Awards process.

Are there any fees for participation?

There are no fees associated with any stage of the application process or the Awards ceremony.

Review and Selection

How are applications assessed?

Applications are initially reviewed by an expert panel, before being assessed by an international jury comprising leaders from across sectors and regions.

Who reviews the applications?

A field of experts, comprising representatives from GCF, ITU, and UN Women, will conduct eligibility screening, and score all eligible applications against an assessment rubric to produce a shortlist. A jury committee of senior representatives from award partners and independent experts reviews the top candidates, conducts interviews, ranks candidates, and makes the final winner decisions.

What evidence needs to be included in the application?

Wherever applicable, responses should include quantitative impact data covering the past two years (or since program inception if more recent). All information provided may be subject to validation during the review process.

Applications must be submitted in English.

How many winners will be selected for each track?

There will be one winner in each of the four tracks.

Results and Next Steps

Where will the Awards be presented?

Winner Announcement details are to follow.

Who can I contact for further information?

For more information, please contact info@gcforum.org.

How can I stay updated?

Please visit our website gcforum.org and follow us on social media for the latest updates:

@gcfriyadh

News

GCF launches the Women in Cyber Awards

Women in Cyber Awards Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Photos