Derry schools lead the charge at Empower Girls 2026

700 Year 8 girls from 24 schools across Northern Ireland, including students from Foyle College, Thornhill College and Oakgrove Integrated College, gathered at ICC Belfast last week for Empower Girls 2026, one of the region’s largest initiatives aimed at inspiring young women to pursue careers in cyber security and digital technology. Given that women currently make up only 17% of the UK cyber security workforce, there is a need for more events like this that encourage and inspire at grass roots level.

Now in its third year, Empower Girls has rapidly grown into a major STEM movement, bringing together more than 60 organisations from industry, academia and government.

At the start of the event, only 37% of attendees said they had considered a career in cyber or technology. By the end, that number had risen to 62% - a shift at the heart of Empower Girls’ mission.

Throughout the day, students took part in interactive exhibits, live demonstrations and hands-on activities, exploring the world of cyber security, innovation and technology. They also heard from professionals working in cyber defence, AI, cloud computing, software engineering and digital forensics.

The message was simple yet powerful. If you can see it, you can be it.

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Since launching in 2024, Empower Girls has: Engaged with more than 1,500 girls across Northern Ireland; Partnered with over 100 organisations; Involved schools across urban and rural communities; Become one of the largest collaborative STEM outreach events in the region.

The initiative is delivered by Aflac Northern Ireland and CyberFirst, the National Cyber Security Centre’s flagship early talent programme, with volunteers from across the tech sector contributing time and expertise.

Mark McCormack, Chief Technology Officer and Managing Director, Aflac Northern Ireland, said: “Empower Girls exists to widen the pipeline of future talent. Today hundreds of girls met the people shaping the technology that powers our world, and many of them will one day lead it.”

Sara Lyons, CyberFirst Northern Ireland Project Manager, said: “Cyber security is one of the world’s fastest growing industries. Events like this open doors early to provide insight to the exciting and rewarding opportunities in cyber security and other technology roles. The focus on girls aims to help build the diverse workforce that Northern Ireland needs.”

Girls inspired by the event can continue their journey through the CyberFirst programme, which offers clubs, courses, competitions and bursaries designed to nurture emerging tech talent.

For more information or to get involved: cyberfirst@belfastmet.ac.uk.