Thank you Abigail Swabey and the team at Source2Create for hosting such a great event. In an industry which is so often high-pressure, stressful and demanding, it is so important that we celebrate and have fun every now and again 🥳

Last week we celebrated many fantastic women who are dedicated to building a better future for other women in cybersecurity. The event was beautiful and so well organised. I had an amazing time with some many inspiring women and great male allies. These events are an opportunity for us to honour great achievements, reconnect with colleagues and friends, and also build new connections. They are also a reminder of the work that still needs to be done, in particularly regarding misconceptions associated to genderequality. Misconceptions, such as assuming that women lack ambition or are not seeking senior roles. Misconceptions that divert attention from the genuine barriers we are facing. Barriers such as limited representation, insufficient women in decision making positions and unconscious bias, which are the real obstacles impacting our progress. Ultimately, I am happy that we have more opportunities to talk about all these issues. I am also beyond happy and grateful for all the support and fellowship of the amazing wāhine in the NZ cyber security community. But let’s not forget that there is still a lot of work to be done. Thank you New Zealand Network for Women in Security (NZNWS) Source2Create and CyberCX for the amazing night!

Had an awesome time celebrating women in security last night at the 2023 New Zealand Women in Security Awards! Well done Abigail Swabey for arranging an incredible event. It was fantastic to see the large number of high quality nominations. Congratulations to all of the finalists and to the winners. A special shout out to our very own Jaimee Mullins for being awarded "Highly Commended" in "the One to Watch in IT Security". Jaimee is an inspiration to many within SSS, in the industry and beyond. She has a real passion for creating and fostering cybersecurity talent and is doing some amazing things in this space. That is outside of her own accelerated growth journey. Awesome recognition and well deserved. 👏

My belated post in celebration of what was an amazing event put together by Source2Create and Abigail Swabey and supported by New Zealand Network for Women in Security (NZNWS) and the event sponsors. Being a judge at the awards meant that I had a front row view of the sheer number and quality of nominations this year and I had so much fun adjudicating and participating in the 2nd New Zealand Women in Security Awards. Congratulations to all the nominees, finalists and award winners this year. An inspiring group of wahine that are leading the charge to cement the future of cybersecurity. Our job now is to make sure that we capitalise on the gains we have made, give back to the community, find mentees and celebrate our success throughout the year!

A night to celebrate all of us, Abigail Swabey well done for organizing such an incredible event , definitely impacting lives. The nominees , finalists and winners , we all won , to be bigger and better days ahead. Thank you too to the CyberCX team for the afterparty . So good to meet several people and former colleagues. We keep learning 😀 .

Amazing event and initiative Abigail! Wonderful to feel the energy in the room and get to celebrate the diversity and inclusion across the cyber security industry ❤️

I’m incredibly proud to have witnessed the aftermath of last nights award ceremony. So many people have been uplifted and shared their regained motivation to drive forward. Abigail Swabey and her team at Source2Create galvanised the IT community to recognise so many wahine movers and shakers serving and supporting the New Zealand IT security landscape. Thank you for your selfless investment in the NZL Women in Sy community and let’s hope it starts to pay its way next year. The night placed a spotlight on organisations and individuals who have left an indelible mark on their respective companies, clients and colleagues. All nominees should be incredibly proud as it demonstrates how valued they are within their community and beyond.