Empower Girls returns to ICC Belfast for its biggest event yet in 2026
Empower Girls 2026 to inspire 700 young women as Northern Ireland’s tech community comes together
Empower Girls is back for 2026 and this year will reach more young women than ever before.
On Thursday 19 March, 700 Year 8 girls from 23 schools across Northern Ireland will come together at ICC Belfast for Empower Girls, a free, large scale cyber security and technology event designed to spark curiosity, build confidence, and open doors for young women.
Delivered by CyberFirst and Aflac Northern Ireland, Empower Girls introduces girls aged 11 to 12 to career opportunities in the world of cyber security and technology, through hands on activities, interactive demos, and conversations with people working in the industry today.
The message is simple and powerful: if you can see it, you can be it.
Empower Girls was created to address the ongoing gender gap in technology, where women currently hold just 23% of tech roles in Northern Ireland. By showing opportunities beyond coding, technology careers can be seen as creative, exciting and achievable. Promoting these options in Year 8 has been shown to instil an interest in STEM subjects before subject choices need to be made.
Sara Lyons, CyberFirst NI Project Manager said:
“Empower Girls is about opening doors early and showing young women what is possible before barriers appear."
When young women can meet real role models working in technology, it changes how they view themselves and the choices they can make.
"The growth of this event reflects the strength of Northern Ireland’s tech community and its commitment to creating real change.”
The need for initiatives like Empower Girls continues to grow as Northern Ireland’s technology sector expands. Software NI has highlighted that the region currently employs around 23,000 people in software roles, with an ambition to double that figure to 50,000 jobs by 2035. Achieving this growth will depend on strong collaboration between government, industry, and education, alongside sustained investment in skills and early engagement.
When girls can see people like them working in cyber security, software, cloud, AI, data, and engineering, those careers stop feeling distant and start feeling possible.
Rob McConnell, CEO, ICC Belfast commented:
"ICC Belfast is proud to continue supporting the Empower Girls programme."
It is fantastic we can provide a platform to empower young women from across Northern Ireland, helping to inspire them to explore future careers in technology and cybersecurity.
"We are looking forward to this year’s event, which will once again showcase emerging talent and offer a valuable opportunity for hands-on learning, industry exposure, and insight into exciting and rapidly growing sectors.”
What began as a bold idea has quickly become a movement. From welcoming 250 students at the first event in 2024 to more than doubling attendance the following year, Empower Girls 2026 will bring together 700 students, making it the largest event of its kind in Northern Ireland.
Tom Trainor, Vice President, Head of Cyber Security, Aflac Northern Ireland said:
Empower Girls is a powerful example of what can happen when industry, education, and community come together with purpose.
"We are proud to support an event that not only inspires hundreds of young women today but helps build a more diverse and resilient technology workforce for the future.”
The event is proudly community driven, powered by Northern Ireland’s cyber security and technology sectors. It brings government, industry, and education partners together with a shared goal: to inspire the next generation of young women and strengthen the industry for the long term.
For participating employers, Empower Girls offers the opportunity to be part of something bigger than a single event. By taking part, organisations give back to the local community, showcase their innovation, and stand alongside leading employers, while visibly supporting inclusion, education, and positive social impact.
Companies from across the region give their time, creativity, and expertise to run activities, share real career journeys, and create experiences that stay with students long after the day ends. From gaming and virtual reality to ethical hacking, problem solving, and creative tech challenges, the day is designed to be energetic, inclusive, and hands on.
Now, organisers are calling on more companies across Northern Ireland to get involved.
Empower Girls thrives because industry shows up. Companies of all sizes are encouraged to take part, whether by running an activity, supporting a zone, or sharing career stories that help young women see what is possible.
Companies who wish to take part can do so by completing a short registration form by 30 January.
Sign up here.
Empower Girls 2026 takes place on Thursday 19 March at ICC Belfast and represents a growing commitment across Northern Ireland to provide opportunity, representation, and long term impact.
