WASHINGTON, April 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) has partnered with Cambridge Global Advisors (CGA) to implement a comprehensive cybersecurity capacity-building initiative centered on women and girls in the Pacific region.
Funded through DFAT’s Southeast Asia and Pacific Cyber Program (SEA-PAC Cyber), the 18-month Pacific Women in Cyber (PWiC) initiative will build essential digital skills and cybersecurity awareness through focused internships and training programs in three target countries: Tonga, Fiji, and Samoa. The program aims to diversify the countries’ cybersecurity workforce while enhancing participants’ career prospects. It will facilitate partnerships, networks, and mentorship opportunities that empower participants to thrive in careers within the cybersecurity industry.
Australia’s Ambassador for Cyber Affairs and Critical Technology, Ms. Jessica Hunter, notes, “PWiC is a vital step toward building a more inclusive and resilient cybersecurity workforce in the Pacific. By equipping women and girls with essential digital skills and creating pathways into the cyber industry, this program strengthens both individual opportunity and regional cyber capacity.”
“The PWiC initiative lays the groundwork for lasting partnerships that will strengthen cybersecurity capacity across the Pacific well into the future,” said former Ambassador Douglas Lute, CGA Chairman. “We’re thrilled to collaborate with DFAT to deliver inclusive cybersecurity programming in countries that are often underrepresented in the digital space.”
The project builds upon CGA’s previous work conducting cybersecurity training events on behalf of the U.S. State Department in the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Tonga, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines.
CGA is implementing the program in consultation with stakeholders from each target country to ensure programming is tailored to meet their unique needs. By empowering these stakeholders to voice their insights, CGA seeks to create a collaborative environment that strengthens ownership and fosters impactful development for all participants.
For more information or to explore partnership opportunities, please contact CGA at [email protected].
About SEA-PAC Cyber
SEA-PAC Cyber is Australia’s flagship initiative to support cyber capacity building across Southeast Asia and the Pacific. This program consolidates regional cooperation efforts under the Australian Government’s 2023–2030 Cyber Security Strategy. Under SEA-PAC Cyber, Australia is working with partners across the region to:
- Enhance their cyber security and critical technology capabilities;
- Strengthen their cyber incident preparedness and response; and
- Support development of national and regional cyber policies, norms, standards, laws and regulations to reflect an open, free and secure cyber ecosystem.
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