Girls4Tech:
Harnessing the power of STEM for the future of cybersecurity
On a late April afternoon, a group of young women gathered on the balcony of the New York Stock Exchange, cheering as they overlooked the iconic trading floor.
As participants in the Girls4Tech STEM program, they stood alongside Mastercard executives to ring the closing bell and mark a milestone — the 10th anniversary of Mastercard’s signature education program, which launched April 16, 2014.
4M
According to the World Economic Forum,1 the industry is under duress from an “urgent” talent shortage, with 4 million professionals needed today across the globe to fight cybercrime.
Discover more about Girls4Tech
Find out more
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2024/04/cybersecurity-industry-talent-shortage-new-report/
https://www.uspa24.com/bericht-3462/early-gender-gaps-drive-career-choices-and-employment-opportunities-says-oecd.html
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Zainab Ibrahim, who was at the NYSE that day, participated in a Girls4Tech program in 2021 and now works in Product Management at Mastercard’s headquarters in Purchase, New York.
“I am profoundly grateful for the opportunity to be part of this transformative program. It has not only empowered me to pursue my passion for STEM but has also inspired me to pay it forward and change the lives of others.”
Mastercard created Girls4Tech in 2014 to level the playing field between boys and girls in STEM and help boost the ranks of future workers in cybersecurity.
The fast-evolving methods of cyber threats and attacks have given rise to demand for more cybersecurity workers, which prompted Mastercard to look at long-term solutions to bridge the gap.
Part of the Girls4Tech mission is to help prepare the next generation of experts in
Fraud detection
Cryptology
Data science
Engineering and more
Susan Warner, vice president of Community Engagement at the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth and founder of the program, read a statistic2 a decade ago that caught her eye:
Across multiple countries, fewer than one in 20 girls had considered a career in STEM, compared to one in five boys.
The numbers appalled — and inspired — her. She was determined to find a way to reach girls across the world, while tapping into the collective brainpower at Mastercard.
In the past 10 years, Girls4Tech has reached nearly 7 million girls across 64 countries. The students are between the ages of 7 and 25.
“Girls4Tech is a way to engage our employees as role models and mentors in the subjects they are most passionate about — cryptology, algorithms, big data, AI, cybersecurity — to showcase their passion to girls all over the world.”
Susan Warner
Vice President of Community
Engagement, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, and founder of Girls4Tech
“I don’t see myself deviating from the field because there is so much more to learn. This is a field where you always get to keep using your logical reasoning — and it’s fun for me.”
Eva Mudgal
Program Analyst,
Scotiabank
Eva Mudgal chose to pursue STEM because of Girls4Tech. After participating in the program during eighth grade in India,
she decided to study physics, chemistry and mathematics in college, with a specialization in cybersecurity. In 2020, she joined Mastercard as an intern in Networks & Security. Today, she works for Scotiabank in Toronto as a program analyst.
What’s in store for the next decade of Girls4Tech?
“More expansion and growth to reach more young minds. We’re not stopping. The gender gap in STEM is still very real, and our work is more important than ever.”
Susan Warner
Vice President of Community Engagement,
Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, and founder of Girls4Tech
As participants in
the Girls4Tech
STEM program,
they stood alongside Mastercard executives to ring the closing bell and mark a milestone — the 10th anniversary of Mastercard’s signature education program, which launched April 16, 2014.
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