The growing video game industry from the female perspective
Although equity remains timid in some areas, one of which is the gaming world, women have been making strides in eSports and generating content for social media, changing the reality in an industry that generates around $200 billion annually worldwide.
Ayda María Martínez Ipuz
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This industry, which saw unprecedented growth amid the pandemic, began to focus on the inclusion of women in recent years. While young female gamers have been involved in activities generated around this industry for several years, they are still not considered in some professional championships. They also work on creating mixed teams as the idea is to be on an equal footing with their male colleagues.
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In the recent online event "Women Gamers in the Picture," organized by Telefónica Hispam, five Latin American women share their experiences in the world of gaming, where they called on the industry to continue to open up opportunities for their inclusion in a community that demands greater diversity.
Colombian gamer and streamer Tati Barrera said that one of the achievements is to demonstrate with facts that women can compete on the same level and celebrates the fact that the sexualized image of women in games from the early years of this century has been surpassed.
"When I started, girls were a figure that wanted to reflect something sexualized in a videogame, that has changed. Women streamers were seen that way and not because they liked videogames. Ten years ago, saying that you were a gamer was terrible for a woman. Today, people assume it and ask, but do you play well?".
Diversity is evident not only in their inclusion in championships but also in their support for women, even in video game advertising, highlighted by Peruvian Nami, the Japeruana, a streamer, and gamer content creator.
"Today there is a noticeable improvement through brands that are interested in seeing women in the gaming industry. There was not a very strong female presence, but today I see a lot of inclusion. Diversity is a point that the sector is taking note of," she said.
Mexican content creator Frida Bones added: "They still ask a woman if she is sure she is a gamer. It is not believed that we can play well, know about video games, and the news. The women who come in are extraordinary, and that is because of the demand from men."
Argentine caster and content creator María Cecilia Guajardo confirms this: "Many things need to be taken into account, especially the role, in my case as a caster, which requires more knowledge and talent."
"Women gamers have always existed; we have made a career out of it and taken it seriously. It is not about gender but about who is doing things well. That is the importance of recognizing niches like this. Women have promoted improvement in the industry," added Francisca Sky, a Chilean video game communicator and digital creator.
In addition to paving the way for those coming up, women in the gaming industry face many challenges: positioning and representation, building community, and supporting each other. "It's about having more sisterhood. There are a lot of female players in all areas of this industry, but they need to be more visible and understand that this industry needs to reach mixed competition," Guajardo added.
"I always have to evolve and not forget this path that women have had to travel in this industry. There have been many obstacles, but we have seized opportunities to raise our voices. Making a difference in communities and contributing to changing perspectives for everyone," Frida recalled.
