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Craig Newmark Philanthropies has renewed its support for Girl Security’s mission to build equitable pathways in national security for girls and women. This award is part of Craig Newmark Philanthropies’ commitment to advancing women in technology pathways, building a diverse cybersecurity workforce, and ensuring women’s unparalleled insights and skillsets are prioritized in securing the fundamental ideals upon which America’s democracy was founded. 

While there is growing recognition of the need to increase women’s inclusion and participation in national security, women, populations of color, and other groups remain systematically underrepresented across security pathways in government, industry, and the social sector. Building an inclusive pipeline-to-workplace is vital to generating innovative, sustainable, and inclusive national security solutions that respond to current and emerging threats at the intersection of technology, security, and society.

“The future of our democracy is imperiled by bad actors and increasingly complex security challenges,” said Craig Newmark, founder of Craig Newmark Philanthropies and craigslist.  “This moment requires all hands on deck to both protect our national security and ensure the future of our democracy. Girls’ and women’s inclusion must be prioritized in this work.”

“We are deeply grateful for Craig Newmark Philanthropies’ commitment to building a collaborative and dynamically-networked effort to secure our nation,” said Lauren Bean Buitta, Girl Security Founder and CEO. “Girls and women are too often the first to experience the harms arising from our most complex security challenges, yet they remain excluded across the security sector. It is imperative that we invest in girls today to design the future of our security.” 

Through this grant, Girl Security will advance a range of supportive programs, including its first-of-its-kind national security workforce training program, nationwide mentoring program, and suite of forthcoming initiatives designed to transform the learning and workforce ecosystems for diverse populations.

About Girl Security: Incorporated  in 2019, Girl Security is building equitable pathways in national security for girls, women, and gender minorities. Since its inception in 2016, Girl Security has supported over 1,000  mentees ages 14-26 nationwide and globally and over 10,000 program participants. To learn more about Girl Security’s workforce training, nationwide mentoring, advocacy,, and community of practice that drives the conversation around equity in national security, follow Girl Security on Twitter @GirlSecurity_ and Instagram @GirlSecurity_.

About Craig Newmark Philanthropies: Craig Newmark is a Web pioneer, philanthropist, and leading advocate. Most commonly known for founding the online classified ads service craigslist, Newmark works to support and connect people and drive broad civic engagement. In 2016, he founded Craig Newmark Philanthropies to advance people and grassroots organizations that are “getting stuff done” in areas that include trustworthy journalism & the information ecosystem, voter protection, women in technology, and veterans & military families. At its core, all of Newmark’s philanthropic work helps to strengthen American democracy by supporting the values that the country aspires to – fairness, opportunity, and respect. For more information, please visit: CraigNewmarkPhilanthropies.org. Craig can be found sharing his personal perspective on the issues of the day at @craignewmark.