Unveiling the Experiences of Racialized Immigrant Women in Cybersecurity - An Intersectional Qualitative Inquiry

Skilled immigrant women's integration in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics professions is influenced by the prevalent racial and gendered conditions present in these fields. This study employs qualitative interviews to investigate barriers to equity, diversity, and inclusion faced by immigrant women professionals in the cybersecurity sector in Canada. Using an intersectional approach, this paper unveils how racial and gender discourses affect immigrant women's experiences of exclusion in the workplace. Findings suggest that immigrant women face multiple barriers at the intersection of gender, race, and immigration status to enter the sector and advance in their careers. Drawing on the interview data, this paper demonstrates how workplaces reproduce multiple forms of inequality for racialized immigrant women. These inequalities arise through the division of positions, the perpetuation of stereotypes that hinder upward mobility, work schedules designed for the ideal men employees, and the penalties associated with cultural differences that specifically disadvantage immigrants.