Rabat hosts the ECOWAS Women in Cybersecurity week from November 16–20, an initiative led by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to bolster female leadership and technical expertise across African digital defense sectors, according to the General Directorate for Information Systems Security.
The five-day program organized by the DGSSI, Smart Africa, and the World Bank focuses on integrating women into high-level decision-making and strategic planning bodies. The initiative targets the development of national and regional cybersecurity frameworks, acknowledging that gender parity is a functional requirement for building continental digital resilience.
Participants will engage in a technical curriculum covering critical infrastructure protection, cyber-crisis management, and the application of artificial intelligence to security operations. The inclusion of AI-driven threat modeling sessions moves the region toward proactive, rather than reactive, defense postures.
A core component of the week involves the governance of national computer incident response teams, known as CERTs or CSIRTs. These entities act as the primary defense nodes for national digital assets, and the program aims to standardize their operational protocols across ECOWAS member states.
The event includes hands-on cyber-crisis simulations designed to test inter-agency coordination. By standardizing these responses, the initiative seeks to improve regional threat intelligence sharing, which is essential for mitigating large-scale attacks on critical infrastructure.
The week concludes with the formal launch of the ECOWAS Women in Cybersecurity network. This platform is designed to provide long-term support through structured mentoring programs and shared knowledge repositories, moving beyond the event’s immediate timeframe.
The initiative emphasizes public-private sector cooperation, with professional visits scheduled to key players within Morocco’s digital ecosystem. These site visits serve to bridge the gap between theoretical training and real-world deployment of cybersecurity tools.
The opening ceremony features an address by Brigadier General Abdellah Boutrig, the Director General of the DGSSI and Vice President of the African Network of Cybersecurity Authorities (ANCA). His participation shows the institutional backing behind this push for regional digital sovereignty.
| Focus Area | Operational Goal |
|---|---|
| Governance | Harmonizing national CERT/CSIRT protocols |
| Infrastructure | Strengthening protection of national digital assets |
| Technology | Applying AI to cybersecurity threat detection |
| Collaboration | Public-private sector information exchange |
The initiative aims to foster a new generation of female leaders capable of influencing national and regional policies, according to the DGSSI. By focusing on both technical skill acquisition and strategic governance, the program intends to build a sustainable pipeline of talent for the continent’s growing cybersecurity workforce.
The proceedings are scheduled to conclude on November 20.
