The Women in Games Manifesto

Key insights

6 takeaways

01
Women represent nearly half of all players but remain under a third of the workforce, which the manifesto describes as systemic rather than inevitable.See it on page 4
02
WIG operates through five spheres of action, and its community connects through Ambassador Networks of over 2,600 ambassadors across 88 countries.See it on page 6
03
The manifesto states that women's economic equality is good for business and good for games.See it on page 4
04
WIG's newest initiative, Women in Games Voices: The Living Guide, is intended to document and amplify women's perspectives through videos, podcasts, essays, and teaching tools.See it on page 7
05
The manifesto frames the imbalance as a matter of pay, opportunity, safety, and representation, and states that the scales must be rebalanced through equity, visibility, accountability, and partnership.See it on page 5
06
WIG's events and initiatives are mostly free at the point of access, made possible by Corporate Ambassadors, Sponsors, and Partners.See it on page 8

Summary

The Women in Games Manifesto is a declaration of intent from Women in Games (WIG), a UK-founded non-profit with global reach that works to build a fair playing field for women and girls in games and esports. It states that its advocacy covers all women, girls, and gender-diverse people, including transgender, gender-diverse, and intersex women. The organisation operates through five spheres of action: Industry, Education, Policy, Community, and Culture. Its community includes over 2,600 ambassadors across 88 countries, along with global events, research publications, awards, and strategic partnerships.

The manifesto sets out fourteen reasons for empowering women in games, framed as a successor to the Fourteen Reasons for Supporting Women's Suffrage published over 110 years ago. It argues that women represent nearly half of all players but remain under a third of the workforce, and describes this imbalance as systemic rather than inevitable. The document also links fairness to business and culture, stating that women's economic equality is good for business and that games are now the world's most influential medium.

The manifesto announces Women in Games Voices: The Living Guide, an initiative intended to document and amplify women's perspectives through videos, podcasts, essays, and teaching tools. Its components are described as an archive of a decade of talks and panels, guide essays, new conversations, and insights. The document states that the Fair Playing Field was our beginning, the Power of Partnership is how we continue, and the Living Guide is our future.