Face2News/Chandigarh

The Center for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (CSDE), Panjab University, Chandigarh, successfully organized a one day workshop titled “Harnessing Cyber Awareness for Digital Empowerment of Women – Safety, Support Pathways, and Career Progression” on February 26 and 27, 2026 under the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) Gender Grant,

in collaboration with ISAC. The workshop aimed to strengthen digital safety awareness, promote informed reporting mechanisms, and encourage women’s participation in cybersecurity careers. The programme began with a structured pre-assessment and safe-space orientation to ensure confidentiality, consent, and meaningful engagement.

In the opening remarks, Prof. Suveera Gill and Prof. Vishal Sharma, emphasized that digital empowerment is central to gender equity and institutional safety. The sessions addressed technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TF-GBV), including cyberstalking, impersonation, image-based abuse, doxxing, harassment, deepfakes, and financial scams. Through case-based risk mapping and victim-sensitive response training, participants developed practical competencies such as first-response SOP preparation, evidence preservation techniques, cyber-hygiene practices (MFA, password security, privacy controls), and structured reporting decision trees.

Expert sessions were delivered by Mr. Tarun Malhotra (Cyber Splunk), Prof. Divya Bansal (Punjab Engineering College), and Gp. Capt. P. A. Naidu (Director, ISAC), who also highlighted cybersecurity career pathways, certification routes, and leadership opportunities for women in the digital domain. A major outcome of the workshop was the formal initiation of the Women Cybersafe Club, including its constitutional framework and a 60-day action plan to ensure sustained engagement, peer support, and institutional advocacy for safe digital spaces.

The workshop concluded with post-assessment and participant feedback reflecting enhanced awareness, confidence, and preparedness in handling cyber risks. By integrating cyber awareness, legal literacy, practical safeguards, and career progression pathways, CSDE reaffirmed its commitment to building a secure, inclusive, and digitally empowered academic ecosystem.