The overall winner and runners-up have today been announced in Get Safe Online’s international ‘Cyber Heroine of the Year’ competition, that has been running since October in 25 countries across the globe.
Against tough competition, the overall winner has been unveiled as Dionne Walker from Grenada whilst second place is awarded to Melissa Vandeyar from Guyana and third to Esther Callender-George from Trinidad & Tobago to recognise their efforts which have been instrumental in keeping their fellow citizens safe online.
Winner; Dionne was recognised by the judges for her outstanding dedication to promoting cyber safety – highlighting that she consistently educates teachers, parents, and students on critical online security practices. She was praised for her engaging sessions, both virtual and in-person, which simplify complex cybersecurity concepts and empower attendees to take actionable steps toward staying safe online. Her role as a trainer and influencer inspires women and girls to pursue careers in tech, making her not only a cybersecurity expert but also a role model for underrepresented groups in the field. She is thoroughly deserving of this recognition.
2nd Place; Melissa has spent over five years training adults, children, and public service workers, making cybersecurity accessible and empowering countless individuals to adopt safer online practices. Her nominators praised her ability to communicate complex concepts, inspire young people to consider cybersecurity careers, and spearhead impactful awareness projects. Melissa exemplifies leadership, care, and passion for online safety, making her a true cyber heroine.
3rd Place; Over the last 11 years, Esther has led numerous successful cybersecurity initiatives across both local and regional organisations, earning respect and recognition from her peers and international bodies.
Honourable mentions were also made of Anju Vula of Fiji and Latoya Etkins of Guyana.
The ‘Cyber Heroine of the Year’ initiative is an opportunity to champion and celebrate these inspiring ambassadors and to use their stories to act as a platform to encourage women and girls to join the sector throughout the globe. Congratulations go to all those nominated, as well as the winners themselves.
The competition was launched at the end of October by asking individuals to nominate a woman who had ‘gone the extra mile’ to increase awareness of online safety in their country.
The highly respected judging panel, which convened on Monday 13th January, comprised Harshna Cayley, Managing Director, Head of Acquiring & Gateway, Barclays, Barbara Prommegger, Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, Jervis Dabreo, a former Get Safe Online Cyber Hero winner and Get Safe Online CEO Tony Neate. The panel identified one overall Cyber Heroine winner, second and third place plus two ‘Honourable Mentions’.
Esther Callender-George said, “It is truly a privilege to receive this acknowledgement, and to be recognised for making a positive difference in my country and region in the cybersecurity profession. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners. May we continue to inspire more women and girls to push past their boundaries and excel in the cyber space – for the greater good of our communities.”
Harshna Cayley, Managing Director at Barclays comments, “It was such an honour to be part of this judging process. Congratulations to the 3 winners: Dionne, Melissa and Esther, on this recognition and your incredible achievements and thank you to everyone nominated for your continued efforts to increase awareness of online safety.”
Tony Neate, CEO of Get Safe Online, added, “Having publicised the awards on our country websites and relevant Facebook page, we were delighted at the response, with numerous fantastic nominations coming from several countries. The field was very strong and some individuals received a number of nominations. Thank you to all of you who made a contribution – in our eyes, all the entrants were, in fact, Cyber Heroines.”
Since 2018, Get Safe Online has been delivering online safety awareness programmes across a number of countries around the world, working with local governmental bodies and partners to deliver powerful initiative to get citizens, communities and small businesses safer online. Today it operates in 27 countries thanks to continuous funding from the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
During this time, Get Safe Online has partnered with many amazing women doing fantastic work on behalf of their country, tirelessly developing innovative and impactful online safety awareness programmes for their fellow citizens and for those around the world.
