Women Can Apply for Free ITU Cybersecurity Scholarship by UN in 2026
The International Telecommunication Union has opened a new cycle of Her CyberTracks 2026, its flagship gender-focused cybersecurity training programme, targeting women professionals across Africa, Europe, the CIS region, the Arab states, and the Americas. The announcement signals a deliberate escalation in the UN agency’s efforts to address one of the technology sector’s most persistent structural problems: the severe underrepresentation of women in cybersecurity.
Co-funded by the German Federal Foreign Office and the European Commission, and co-implemented alongside the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ), the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the Latin America and Caribbean Cyber Competence Center (LAC4), the ITU Her CyberTracks offers women a rare entry point into one of the fastest-growing professional fields in the world, through a combination of expert-led training, structured mentorship, and regional networking.
Her CyberTracks and the 26% Problem
The numbers that motivated ITU Her CyberTracks Program 2026 are neither marginal nor disputed. As of 2024, women comprised less than 26% of the global cybersecurity workforce, and despite incremental progress, they continue to be disproportionately subjected to online threats including cyberstalking, harassment, and doxxing.
That paradox, where the population most exposed to digital harm is least represented among those paid to prevent it, reflects a structural failure in how cybersecurity training and recruitment have historically been organized.The ITU’s response with 2026 Her CyberTracks is deliberate.
The programme builds on the success of ITU’s earlier Women in Cyber Mentorship Programme, retaining its mentorship and role-modelling components while adding specialized, targeted training pathways.Compared to broad-access initiatives such as WiCyS, which primarily serves North American university students,Her CyberTracks is distinctive in its geographic focus on the Global South and transitional economies, and in its non-degree, sector-specific curriculum design.
It is not a scholarship in the conventional financial sense, but it is one of the most substantive no-cost professional development programmes available to women in cybersecurity globally.
The Four CyberTracks on Offer
ITU Her CyberTracks 2026 is built around four distinct learning pathways, each targeting a specific professional background. The Policy and Diplomacy CyberTrack is aimed at women working in cybersecurity, policymaking, ICT and digital sectors, or peace and security, as well as those in technical roles wishing to transition into policy or diplomacy. It is open to participants across Africa, the Arab States, Asia-Pacific, the CIS, and Europe.
The Incident Response CyberTrack targets women working in IT with a basic understanding of cybersecurity who wish to enter the field, and those at entry level working in CERT or SOC teams. This track is available to women across Africa, the Americas, Arab States, Asia-Pacific, the CIS, and Europe, making it the most geographically inclusive of the four.
The Criminal Justice CyberTrack, implemented in partnership with UNODC, is designed for women working in the criminal justice sector who are involved in or aiming to enter cybersecurity and countering cybercrime fields. This track is restricted to participants from Africa and selected Arab States countries.
The fourth track, Cyber and AI, is a notable addition to the 2026 edition. It is tailored for women in policy roles spanning cyber, ICT, and peace and security, as well as those in technical roles with an interest in the intersection of cyber and AI policy and governance. Like the Criminal Justice track, it is open to participants from Africa and selected Arab States. Each applicant selects one track at the point of application, and the selection committee evaluates candidacies accordingly.
Her CyberTracks: What Fellows Actually Receive
The ITU Her CyberTracks Initiative delivers a combination of professional, technical, and networking benefits that go beyond a standard online course. Every participant receives expert training in their chosen track, access to a structured mentorship programme pairing junior women with senior cybersecurity professionals, and entry into a global peer cohort for cross-regional collaboration. Inspirational keynote webinars and networking meetings are also included as part of the programme calendar.
A limited number of travel sponsorships are available per region to support participants attending on-site face-to-face training components and networking meetings. Her CyberTracks Program delivery runs via Zoom for online modules, with in-person elements held at designated training venues. Upon completion of the full curriculum, participants receive an ITU Academy certificate of completion, a credential carrying the institutional weight of the United Nations’ specialized agency for digital technologies.
Who Can Apply and From Where
2026 ITU Her CyberTracks is explicitly regional in its eligibility structure, open to women residing in targeted countries across Africa, the Arab region, the CIS, Europe, and the Americas. The Africa cohort is the largest, spanning over 45 countries from Cameroon and Kenya to Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. The European and CIS list focuses on transitional economies including Albania, Georgia, Moldova, Serbia, and Ukraine. The Arab region covers Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, and others, while the Americas cohort includes Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
The ITU Women in Cybersecurity Program does not impose any age restrictions on applicants. The programme is conducted in English, with some components offering French interpretation, and participants must have a good working knowledge of English.
Applicants must also be willing to commit approximately 15 hours per month for the duration of the programme, and have access to a computer and a stable internet connection. No formal cybersecurity credential is required to apply, making the programme genuinely accessible to women at the early stages of their careers or transitioning from adjacent public-sector roles.
Her CyberTracks: How the Selection Process Works
Applications for ITU Her CyberTracks 2026 are submitted through the official ITU Cybersecurity programme portal at itu.int. Applicants select their preferred CyberTrack during submission and are assessed on the basis of professional background, the strength of alignment with the chosen track’s target audience, and demonstrated motivation to contribute to their country or region’s cybersecurity landscape.
Women applying to the Cyber and AI or Policy and Diplomacy tracks benefit from articulating a specific policy context in which they operate or intend to work. Those applying to the Incident Response track should demonstrate at least a foundational grounding in IT or a related technical domain.
Given the programme’s regional and demographic targeting, competition varies by track and geography. The Incident Response track, which carries the broadest geographic eligibility, is likely to receive the highest volume of applications.
Deadline and Duration
Applications for the fourth edition of ITU Her CyberTracks are open until 19 April 2026. The programme will run from May to October 2026, spanning approximately five to six months.