IN CASE YOU MISSED IT…

Women in Games highlights the articles that have caught our eye over the past few weeks…

This is a great series of articles from Polygon which looks at the crossover between health and gaming, which considers the likes of meditation, playing too much, motherhood and more

Hats off to the Swedish games industry. Its report that the sector may face a shortage of 25,000 developers highlights that encouraging more young women and girls to study games in Higher Education should be a key priority. Via Gamesindustry.biz

The Guardian, along with many media outlets, reported that the UK government rejected proposals for the menopause to be listed as a protected characteristic, claiming that it ‘could discriminate against men’…

And the newspaper’s excellent columnist Gaby Hinsliff followed by pointing out that many women end their careers due to symptoms of the menopause, offering ‘Madonna is the material proof: older women rock. So why do so many still have to stop work?’

To Hollywood, diversity has raised its head again regarding Oscar nominations, reports CityAM

The mass redundancies in the wider tech sector have been much reported, but worryingly EDI roles are being cut as part of companies downsizing, claims Bloomberg…

… while Business Insider reveals that Google’s head mental health and wellbeing was among the 12,000 workers laid off by the tech giant

More gloomy news comes via Game Developer which reports that the vast majority of game developers are concerned about harassment from players

WeAreTechWomen has recently published two excellent articles. The first highlights the importance of a data-led approach to creating a diverse workforce. Meanwhile, the site highlights that flexible working must be a priority if companies are going to create an inclusive future for its teams.

Pocketgamer.biz reports on a roundtable hosted by UNICEF and attended by the likes of Rovio, LEGO and Nokia looked at how inclusivity and diversity can lead to a positive future

It’s not exactly bed-time reading material, but McKinsey has just published its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Lighthouses 2023 report

And finally, Gamesindustry.biz’s regular look back on news from a decade ago has thrown up a doozy. It highlights an article which EA’s chief talent officer Gabrielle Toledano has written for Forbes in response to suggestions that sexism is keeping women out of games – claiming that it’s women themselves who are to blame… Buckle up and read the original Forbes article ‘Women and Video Gaming’s Dirty Little Secrets’ hereand Gamesindustry.biz’s commentary on the piece here…