Resources for Women in (and Aspiring to be in) Video Games

As a woman working in the video game industry, I often find myself encountering surprised faces or squinted eyes in suspicion when I tell folks what I do. Also, more often than I'd like to say, this is followed by a face of realization and a "Ah yes, in marketing, right? Or the HR department?".

While there is nothing wrong with working in marketing or HR, there are still a lot of stereotypes around what women do or do not do in video games (and many other industries for that matter). And that is a direct result of women having always been underrepresented in video game production and development. Just in my personal experience, I've only once worked in a team that had more than 25% representation of women, and 3 times I have been the only female in an entire core dev team.

This is something that has had me thoughtful especially today, on International Women's Day. One of my biggest aspirations and hopes in sharing my thoughts and help in LinkedIn is to inspire others - women and men alike - to pursue gaming careers. But especially, I am hoping I can have a positive impact on at least one aspiring game dev woman's career path.

To this end and to celebrate International Women's Day, I have collected some resources for all the women in (and aspiring to be in) video games. Hopefully the links below some provide insight, help, support, tools, or a sense of community to those seeking for it.

• ESA Foundation Scholarship Program for women and minority students pursuing a degree in computer science or video game arts and sciences related degree across the US. Applications open until 3/14.
• Women in Games WIGJ is the not for profit organization that seeks a games industry, culture and community free of gender discrimination, where full equality of opportunity, treatment and conditions empowers all women to achieve their full potential. 
• The IGDA Women in Games (WIG) Special Interest Group (SIG) was formed to create a positive impact on the game industry with respect to gender balance in the workplace and the marketplace. The IGDA WIGSIG offers community, resources and opportunities to those already in the games industry, as well as people seeking to break into the business.
• Black Girl Gamers is a community intended as an online safe space for black women in gaming. With over 7,000 members on Facebook and more than 50,000 followers across its online channels, the inclusive group advocates for workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion. Black Girl Gamers has held charity events, and hosts online events such as the 2020 Black Girl Gamers Online Summit which saw the Twitch front page showcase panels and key notes on streaming, voice acting, and changes in gaming.
• The BroadcastHER Initiative and grant programs are designed to support women who are pursuing their dreams in content creation and gaming, while raising awareness for the continued gender gap in financial funding for young women in the ever-expanding gaming and broadcasting space.
• Aiming to close the gender gap in technological fields, Girls Who Code is a non-profit organization which helps young women develop computing skills from school to college level in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and India. 
• Partnering with Google’s Stadia gaming platform, the Generation Google Scholarship for women in gaming helps support North American students looking to complete gaming degrees and progress to careers in the industry. Applications are currently closed but will open again in Fall 2021.
• Limit Break is a mentorship program aimed at people of underrepresented genders in the UK games industry. Participants are paired with a mentor who is an established professional in their field.

I invite any and all colleagues and industry peers to share any other resources in the comments!

-Pauliina