By Edward Dankwah
Accra, March. 5, GNA – The Slamm Foundation, in partnership with ISC2, has graduated the fourth cohort of its flagship Young Women in Tech (YWIT) programme, advancing efforts to boost female representation in Africa’s rapidly expanding cybersecurity industry and digital economy.
Twenty-two young women completed the intensive two-week residential boot camp held at Fab Hub Ashanti in Kumasi, emerging with industry-relevant technical skills, structured mentorship experience and clear pathways toward internationally recognised cybersecurity certifications.
A statement issued in Accra said the programme was designed as a fully immersive experience.
It said participants began each day at 5:00 a.m. with physical training and team conditioning exercises, followed by daily orientation sessions and up to nine hours of cybersecurity instruction.
The statement said the curriculum covered core security principles, risk management, network security fundamentals and professional ethics, alongside public speaking and career development modules.
It said the training ran continuously for 14 days, including weekends.
The statement said the initiative responded to a widening talent and gender gap across Africa’s digital economy.
“Women account for just 13.5 percent of the cybersecurity workforce on the continent; the lowest regional share globally, despite near gender parity in many STEM graduation cohorts,” it said.
It said Africa faces a significant shortfall in trained cybersecurity professionals, with fewer than 300,000 practitioners serving a population of 1.4 billion people.
Globally, an estimated 2.8 million cybersecurity roles remain unfilled.
Mrs Francisca Boateng, Chief Executive Officer of Slamm Foundation, described the programme as a deliberate intervention aimed at shifting long-term structural imbalances in the technology sector.
“This is not simply a graduation ceremony; it is a statement of intent. Each cohort represents a strategic investment in Africa’s digital resilience,” she said.
She said when they speak about cybersecurity gaps, “we are speaking about national security, economic stability and the protection of our digital future. Women must be central to that conversation.”
She added that the discipline-centred design of the boot camp is intentional.
“We do not separate technical competence from character development. The early mornings, the long training hours, the debates,they are structured to build confidence, resilience and leadership capacity,” Mrs Boateng said.
She said their goal was not just to prepare participants for certification exams, but to prepare them for boardrooms, policy discussions and entrepreneurial ventures.
Mrs. Boateng emphasised that the Foundation remained committed to scaling the initiative, adding that the future of Africa’s cybersecurity ecosystem will be shaped by programmes like this.
Participants were presented with certificates.
A participant speaking on behalf of her colleagues, said: “I entered this programme uncertain about my place in cybersecurity. Two weeks later, I leave with clarity and conviction.”
GNA
Edited by Benjamin Mensah