Building a diverse and inclusive industry
Driving diversity and inclusion is the socially responsible thing to do — the right thing to do.
“It is essential that the industry strives to reflect gender equality in its workforce and in the video games themselves. Women currently represent only 19% of the workforce in the ICT sector in the EU and, according to national surveys, 24.4% of workers in the video game sector are women. We look forward to working with our members to drive and promote good practice across Europe for the good of both the industry and the playing community.”
UNICEF and the Global Video Game Coalition partner to open career pathways for girls in the video game and tech sector
UNICEF and the Global Video Game Coalition (GVGC) partnered to equip adolescent girls with the technical and leadership skills to pursue careers in high-income, fast-growing industries like video game and tech.
Over the next three years, the Game Changers Coalition aims to reach 3 million girls, contributing to UNICEF’s broader goal of equipping 26 million girls worldwide with learning and skills-building opportunities to go from playing to learning to earning.
The Game Changers Coalition will also bring together key players who contribute to the GVGC – including Video Games Europe and brands such as Electronic Arts (EA), Roblox, Sony Interactive Entertainment and Ubisoft – to build a more inclusive and diverse digital future.
Diversity pledges across Europe
The video games industry employs over 117,000 employees in Europe. Video Games Europe’s national associations engage in local initiatives to inspire and improve diversity and inclusion in the games industry. Click on the map below to find information on an initiative near you:
Additional insights
Women in Games Guide: Building a Fair Playing Field
In late 2020, Video Games Europe joined Women in Games as a corporate ambassador during the European Parliament’s first-ever European Gender Equality Week.
As part of our corporate ambassadorship, Video Games Europe collaborated with Women in Games on the Second Edition of its The Guide: Building A Fair Playing Field. Almost 150 pages of information, inspiration, resources, first-hand accounts, case studies, recommendations are included.
The Guide – researched and authored by Women in Games CEO Marie-Claire Isaaman and Women in Games Education & Research Consultant Sharon Tolaini-Sage – is for video games, esports, and connected industries of all scales and sizes who are interested in engaging with, and advancing, gender equality and wider diversity and inclusion.
While the Guide is very specifically focused on gender, it encompasses wider intersectional issues of inclusivity and diversity, and can be used to address them at every level.
The Guide is available to download for free.
