On March 17, 2026, Associate Professor of the Department of Cybersecurity of Khmelnytskyi National University, Doctor of Philosophy Nataliia Petliak participated in the professional workshop "Women's Leadership in Cybersecurity: Education Sector", which was held as part of the national initiative to strengthen the role of women in the cybersecurity sector.
The event was organized with the support of the National Cybersecurity Coordination Center under the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, together with the NGO “Center for Analysis and Development of Effective Policies” and other expert organizations. It was aimed at discussing and identifying key barriers, needs, and practical steps that should be included in the Roadmap for Supporting the National Initiative to Strengthen Women's Leadership in Cybersecurity for 2026–2030.
The workshop included intensive discussion sessions with representatives from the education sector. Participants discussed key challenges and areas for development, including:
- implementation of gender equality policies in universities;
- development of practice-oriented training formats, in particular holding offline CTF competitions;
- the problem of professional burnout among educators;
- expanding opportunities for women in shaping their career trajectory;
- increasing the representation of women in the professional cybersecurity community.
Particular attention was paid to identifying barriers to women's participation in cybersecurity and developing practical recommendations that will be included in the national Roadmap.
The participation of representatives of Khmelnytskyi National University in such initiatives contributes to the integration of modern approaches to the development of cybersecurity, support for gender equality, and strengthen the role of the educational sector in the formation of a sustainable and inclusive cybersecurity ecosystem in Ukraine.
