A MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO: ADDRESSING THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM

Women in Games is an organisation that has a purpose to empower girls and women by building a fairer, safer, more equal global gaming system that increases the number of women in games, champions the rights of women and games in the sector, and ends toxicity and harassment towards women in the industry itself and in online spaces.

We’ve had incredible success with raising awareness of the issues facing women and girls in games and esports, and in hosting global events – just last month our Global Recruitment Expo saw some 800 individuals from around the world take part in the event, spending an average of over four hours each in the virtual expo.

Last year, we published the Women in Games Guide: Building A Fair Playing Field. We introduced a new series of Creative Leadership Labs in conjunction with the University of Nottingham, and we launched the first of our international chapters in Asia. We are invited to provide expertise and intel to organisations and at events on the games industry and gender equality around the world.

At the same time, the number of Individual Ambassadors applying to our programme and working with us has grown to over 1,450, along with the engagement of 40+ Corporate and Education Ambassadors, organisations championing change within the sector.

All of this can give the impression of a large-scale organisation. But behind the scenes, it’s just six hardworking part-time staff who are passionate about this cause, juggling everything from strategic initiatives, to event management and everything in between.

Let’s address the elephant in the room. We’re a victim of our own success. Because we’re perceived as a larger organisation, people assume we have an equivalent level of capacity and funding, but that is simply not the case. We rely heavily on our Corporate Ambassadors, Education Ambassadors and sponsors, and we are extremely grateful for their engagement and support.

But if we are to take our missions and goals forward, we need more collaboration, partnership, initiative and organisational support to achieve more.

The challenge we face is not small. The landscape is changing, toxicity and harassment of women in games is growing rather than diminishing. Simultaneously, budgets for equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) are being cut, resulting in reduced resources for our mission.

So why do we need more financial support?

  • Continuing our successful global events: Despite being a small team, we’ve been able to run events that have touched the lives of thousands of women worldwide. This engagement is critical to creating change, but it comes at a cost. We need funding to continue to deliver high-quality, impactful events.
  • Creating safer environments: Harassment and toxicity towards women in the industry and online are rampant. We want to put in place effective measures to protect women and girls, but this requires substantial resources, from research, to tools to tackle online abuse, to workshops and support networks and partnership with events organisers to ensure tackling these issues are embedded into the design of game industry events.
  • Advocacy and policy influence: Part of our work is influencing industry and policy change to create a more equitable environment for women in games. This requires time, involves expertise and connections, all of which necessitate funding.
  • Supporting research and education: We believe in the power of knowledge. Our Individual, Corporate and Education Ambassadors are pivotal in informing about women’s experiences and helping devise solutions. Our Women in Games Guide: Building a Fair Playing Field is being updated. Funding is essential for this research and educational work.
  • Building a bigger, stronger team: Six part-time workers are doing wonders, but imagine what we could achieve with more hands on deck! More funding would allow us to expand our team, enabling us to do more, and do it faster.

We’ve proven that we know how to use our resources effectively. We have a clear vision and the expertise to execute it. We are a highly respected and award winning organisation.. As it stands today you may be surprised to know that our initiatives are largely underfunded. Without increased financial support, the scale and speed of the change we seek will be limited.

Please consider supporting our work by making a donation.

Remember, every pound, dollar, euro, yen helps. Even the smallest contributions can make a huge difference when combined. We want to continue the hard work we’ve started, but we can’t do it alone.

With your help, we can transform the gaming industry into a more equitable, safer, and welcoming space for all women and girls.

Marie-Claire Isaaman,
CEO, Women in Games

Photo by Hannes Egler on Unsplash
Photo by Etienne Girardet on Unsplash