The Swiss-African Cybersecurity Community was honored to co-host the fourth edition of our hybrid workshop series on September 29, 2025, in collaboration with the ISACA SheLeadsTech Community. Titled “Women Powering the Future: Shaping AI and Cybersecurity with Inclusive Intelligence”, this workshop brought together a diverse group of participants from both industry and academia, including experts in digital trust, cybersecurity, and audit, as well as professors and students. Panelists from Switzerland and South Africa explored the critical intersection of AI, cybersecurity, and gender representation.

All-Women Panelists

• Dr. Lebogang Mosupye-Semenya, Senior Lecturer in Digital Technologies at the Johannesburg Business School
• Andrea Tribelhorn, Executive Board Member at Detecon (Schweiz) AG, President of ISACA Switzerland Chapter & SheLeadsTech Ambassador
• Viola Sini, Cybersecurity Audit Expert & SheLeadsTech Ambassador
• Julia Root, Cybersecurity Consultant at Detecon (Schweiz) AG & SheLeadsTech Ambassador

Discussion Topics

The panel shared personal insights and professional expertise on a range of timely and pressing issues:

• The underrepresentation of women in AI and cybersecurity development, despite women representing half of the end-users.
• The growing importance of cyber resilience, especially in light of emerging threats like AI agents and AI-generated fraud.
• The urgent need for AI regulation that incorporates the expertise of industry professionals responsible for developing AI systems, alongside the evidence-based insights provided by academia.

Q&A

In a lively Q&A session, panelists offered advice to aspiring women in tech: Be resilient. Stay curious. Don’t fear making mistakes. Seek mentors and community. Focus on what’s in your control, and to our allies, staying silent instead of speaking up is a choice.

The workshop highlighted how cybersecurity and AI development are significantly enriched by the insights of women, whose unique lived experiences help make technology more inclusive and reflective of the diverse world we live in.

We are immensely grateful to our partners at ISACA SheLeadsTech, all the panelists, and everyone who joined us in Basel and online.