ERIC Number: ED631927
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2022
Pages: 131
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 979-8-3684-7240-9
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Empowering Women in Saudi Arabia to Access Cybersecurity Opportunities: A Qualitative Study
Aljuaid, Alanoud
ProQuest LLC, D.Sc. Dissertation, Marymount University
There is a workforce shortage and a huge gender disparity in the cybersecurity profession globally and Saudi Arabia. Enabling women to access these opportunities involves bolstering training and implementing reforms to give women the go-ahead to access these opportunities. With only a paltry 5% of women being in cybersecurity in the Middle East and even a lower number in Saudi Arabia, this study becomes relevant in proposing a country-specific solution. Previous research studies in this area and those focusing on Saudi Arabia have not fully explored the factors impacting the participation of Saudi women in the cybersecurity field. The purpose of this study is to determine the barriers preventing women in Saudi Arabia from accessing cybersecurity opportunities and possible solutions to the existing gaps. The group socialisation theory and Geert Hofstede's national culture framework for a dependable theoretical background for this study. The dependent variable is the employment opportunities for women in cybersecurity in Saudi Arabia, while the independent variables are the existing policies, social-cultural practices, women education and gender inequalities in the country. The main research question is - What barriers discourage women from pursuing cybersecurity careers in Saudi Arabia? The study adopted a qualitative exploratory design. A sample of 15 Saudi women aged 18 - 30 years, with a college education or are still in college pursuing a course in IT or have basic computer literacy skills were recruited, and living in urban areas was recruited through snowball and purposive sampling. Fourteen interview questions were developed and data was collected through Zoom. Thematic analysis was conducted following the Braun and Clarke model with the help of the NVivo software. The themes arising from the interview data include: 1) Interest in cybersecurity, 2) Socio-cultural barriers, 3) Women education barriers, 4) Gender inequality barriers, 5) Women empowerment interventions and 6) The future of women in cybersecurity. Recent evidence from secondary sources also reveal these themes. The study contributes to theory by developing a framework outlining how the society and the government should support and empower women in their quest to seek opportunities in the field of cybersecurity. This will enhance their interest in the field and increase their overall representation in the cybersecurity workforce. Most importantly, there should be refinement of the Saudi social norms and gender-based beliefs to align with the changing global human resource environment to improve the participation of women in male-dominated career fields. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com.bibliotheek.ehb.be/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Gender Differences, Computer Security, Information Security, Equal Opportunities (Jobs), Equal Education, Womens Education, Barriers, Cultural Influences, Public Policy, Social Influences, Gender Bias, College Students, Higher Education, Interests, Empowerment
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Saudi Arabia
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A