Reflections on International Women’s Day: Celebrating leadership, diversity and empowerment

As the world marked International Women’s Day (IWD) on March 8, it provided an opportunity to reflect on the progress made toward gender equality, celebrate the achievements of women and recognize the work still ahead.

This year, women leaders from the cybersecurity industry shared their perspectives on mentorship, career growth, diversity and empowerment, offering insights that remain relevant beyond the day itself.

The Role of Mentorship and Allies in Career Growth

Joy Burkholder Meier, general counsel & chief human resources officer at Black Duck, reflected on the role of mentorship in her journey, emphasizing that her key relationships were “less about formal mentorship and more friendships where leaders I looked up to would share feedback with me and provide encouragement when I was unsure of the next step.” She credited her rise to the C-suite to qualities such as responsiveness, attention to detail, and building trust and consensus.

For Meier, the support of allies in boardrooms and executive spaces has been invaluable. “Having allies in Board rooms or at the executive level who have supported my viewpoints, asked me for my opinions, invited me to be in the room where the action happens, and encouraged me to expand my work outside of my comfort zone have all had a large positive impact on my career journey.”

She stressed the importance of being prepared for opportunities and willing to step beyond one's comfort zone.

April Lenhard, product manager VMDR at Qualys, attributed her success in cybersecurity to a commitment to curiosity, continuous learning, and knowledge-sharing. “Be curious about everything, especially if it is outside your scope of knowledge and scope of practice... most of the time, the majority of high-risk/high-reward professional opportunities are in connecting those dots,” she advised. Lenhard also highlighted the importance of mentorship, urging women to “actively seek out mentors that align with your values and your mission, and do not accept any behavior below your standard of excellence.”

Amanda Fitzsimmons, head of legal at Salt Security, echoed the sentiment of progress and the need for continued action. “As a woman leader in the cybersecurity field, I’ve seen firsthand how much progress we’ve made. When I started in this field nearly a decade ago, there were few women in the field, and even fewer in leadership roles. But while we’ve broken barriers, the reality is that women are still vastly underrepresented in this industry.”

She emphasized the importance of this year's IWD theme, “#AccelerateAction,” stating, “Progress doesn’t happen on its own — we need to actively open doors, advocate for inclusion, and ensure that the next generation of women doesn’t have to push as hard to get their voices heard. Real change happens when companies and their leaders commit to mentorship, create truly inclusive workplaces, and recognize the value of diverse perspectives in securing our digital world.”

Embracing Diversity and Inclusion in the Tech Industry

The significance of diversity in the workforce was a recurring theme. Meier pointed out that “diverse viewpoints lead to the best results,” explaining that businesses must consider the varied perspectives of their customer base to avoid blind spots. “And for me, diversity means a lot of different things — not only people of varying gender, race, or nationality, but also different educational backgrounds and experiences. A diverse team is going to win every time.”

Danielle West, head of corporate marketing at Nutrient, shared her experiences and the progress made in the tech space. “We’ve come a long way since I entered the tech space 10 years ago, when I was often the only woman in the room. Today at Nutrient, women make up nearly 30% of our organization, from countries around the globe, representing every team including product and engineering.”

She highlighted the importance of having a diverse group of people at the virtual table, stating, “In a world where technology is evolving by the day, having a diverse group of people at the virtual table is critical for creativity and ideation, allowing businesses to continue to transform at speed. This includes women of every age, background, culture, and experience.”

West also emphasized the need to ensure that opportunities for women do not disappear with changing working trends. “Remote working, access to the internet, and more inclusive education have opened up opportunities for women globally, and with changes in working trends, we need to ensure these opportunities don’t disappear.”

West called for continued education in all areas of business, from negotiating salaries and benefits to asking for promotions and feeling empowered to speak up in traditionally male-dominated roles. “This International Women’s Day, we are reminded that it’s our responsibility as leaders — both women leaders and our male allies — to continue to fight for accelerated gender equality.”

Overcoming Challenges and Pushing for Continued Progress

Aditi Gupta, senior manager of professional services consulting at Black Duck, reflected on the progress and challenges for women in STEM fields. “When I entered the technology workforce in India over 15 years ago, women made up roughly 12% of the STEM workforce,” she said, recalling how few women she saw in engineering programs. After moving to the U.S. in 2014, she found similar representation challenges. “Women’s representation in tech has marginally increased from about 25% in 2009 to roughly 28% in 2024, highlighting a universal challenge in achieving gender parity.”

Gupta noted that despite progress, there is still work to be done. “The World Economic Forum’s projection that workforce gender parity won’t be achieved until 2158 serves as a sobering reminder of the work still ahead.” She praised the role of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) in bridging these gaps, saying that at Black Duck, such groups “provide mentorship, sponsorship, and networking opportunities and work to increase the visibility and representation of women in the industry.”

Reflecting upon International Women’s Day, these leaders emphasize the ongoing need for awareness, education and action.

“On International Women’s Day, we aim to raise awareness about, and provide education to help eliminate, stereotypes, discrimination and bias,” Meier said. “We embrace the idea that diverse viewpoints lead to the best results and that everyone, regardless of gender, deserves equal opportunities to succeed.”