Доступ жінок до сфери кібербезпеки в Україні в контексті російсько-української війни
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Date
2025
Authors
Заремба, Катерина
Марценюк, Тамара
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Abstract
У статті з’ясовано передумови та сучасний стан доступу жінок до сфери кібербезпеки. Виділено соціокультурні, історичні та політичні передумови. Виклики й успіхи доступу жінок до сфери кібербезпеки розглянуто на мікро-, мезо- та макрорівні. Емпіричну частину статті становлять результати 14 напівструктурованих інтерв’ю, проведених навесні 2025 р. з працівниками і працівницями сфери кібербезпеки в Україні. Виявлено особливості доступу жінок до кібербезпеки в українському суспільстві, беручи до уваги виклики російсько-української війни та ситуацію з гендерною (не)рівністю в галузі.
Description
The article clarifies the prerequisites for women’s access to the cybersecurity sector in general and the current state of women’s access to it. The representation of women in cybersecurity in education and on the labor market has socio-cultural, historical, and political prerequisites. Sociocultural prerequisites led to gender inequality in the field, historical ones led to the need to attract new personnel, and political ones led to the idea of involving women in cybersecurity. The challenges and successes of women’s access to the sector are considered at the micro-, meso-, and macro-levels. The empirical part of the article consists of the results of 14 semi-structured interviews with cybersecurity workers in Ukraine, conducted in the spring of 2025. The features of women’s access to cybersecurity in Ukrainian society are identified, considering the challenges of the Russo-Ukrainian war and the situation with gender (in)equality in the IT sector. Thus, the results of the interview analysis allow us to highlight the challenges of women’s access at the micro, meso, and macro levels. At the micro level, the problem is the need for women to prove their competence to men. To do this, some need to work overtime. Another challenge is the psychological stress caused by the influence of gender stereotypes. At the meso level, the challenge is horizontal and vertical gender segregation, gender bias, and sexual harassment or “special treatment” of women in the workplace. From the experience of the respondents, sexism is especially evident in state institutions. At the macro level, the challenges are gender biases regarding gender roles in society and ignorance about state support initiatives for women. If we turn to the successes of women in accessing cybersecurity in Ukraine, they again exist at the micro, meso, and macro levels. At the micro level, this is a high level of qualification and the opportunity to build a career, despite obstacles. At the meso level, success is the overcoming of vertical segregation by some women, the presence of female role models among Ukrainian cybersecurity specialists, and mentoring programs and training for women in businesses. At the macro level, success in cybersecurity, which distinguishes Ukraine from the rest of the world, is the increase in the number of women in the field, provoked by the beginning of a full-scale invasion. In addition, a positive trend is the lower tendency of the younger generation to resort to gender-role stereotypes. Modern Ukrainian society is also more aware of the achievements of women in cybersecurity. Finally, it is worth mentioning the success of the implementation of initiatives to support women in cybersecurity at the state level in Ukraine.
Keywords
гендерна рівність, гендерна нерівність, російсько-українська війна, війна, кібербезпека, Україна, українське суспільство, жінки, стаття, gender equality, gender inequality, Russo-Ukrainian war, war, cybersecurity, Ukraine, Ukrainian society, women
Citation
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