Final Report: Women’s Participation in Southeast Asia’s Cybersecurity Sector

This report compiles research findings from the “Women’s Participation in Southeast Asia’s Cybersecurity Sector” project, which aimed to understand the cybersecurity workforce in Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Mongolia, and Thailand, identify workforce gaps, and assess women’s participation across these countries. Conducted in support of the ITU’s Women in Cyber (WiC) Mentorship Asia-Pacific Programme, the research lays the groundwork for future Programme iterations by guiding targeted capacity-building and skills development.

The project, part of USAID’s Digital Asia Accelerator initiative, focused on promoting the safe use of digital technology for economic development in Southeast Asia and Mongolia. Managed by Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI) and completed by Protection Group International (PGI), it also supports the joint USAID-International Telecommunication Union (ITU) effort to promote gender equity and inclusion in cybersecurity in the Asia-Pacific region.

In executing this project, USAID and the implementing partners worked closely with national and regional stakeholders, including representatives from Cambodia’s Ministry of Post and Telecommunications (MPTC), Indonesia’s National Cyber and Crypto Agency (BSSN), Laos’ Computer Emergency Response Team (Lacer), Mongolia’s Ministry of Digital Development and Communications (MDDC), and Thailand’s National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA), whose contributions were vital to its success.