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United Kingdom
International games industry diversity group Women in Games, has announced the launch of a new manifesto setting out a coordinated call to address persistent gender imbalance across the global video games industry.
The initiative positions fairness not as a future ambition but as a requirement for the sector’s continued cultural and commercial relevance.
The organization said the manifesto responds to a longstanding disparity between who plays games and who makes them. Women account for nearly half of all players, but represent fewer than one-third of the industry workforce. Women in Games argues that the gap limits creativity, innovation, and the ability of games to reflect the audiences they serve.
Equality framed as strategy, not aspiration
The Manifesto outlines 14 core reasons why empowering women is essential to the future of games, drawing a direct link between inclusive development and sustainable growth, and frames equality as a strategic and cultural necessity at a time when games have become the world’s most influential storytelling medium.
Dr Marie-Claire Isaaman, Chief Executive Officer of Women in Games, said the Manifesto is intended as a living commitment rather than a symbolic statement.
“Progress does not happen by accident," she said, "It happens when people come together with clarity, courage, and purpose. The Women in Games Manifesto is a living commitment to rebalancing the scales and ensuring that women are not only part of the future of games, but are helping to design it.”
The launch comes amid continued challenges for women and gender-diverse professionals, including disparities in pay, leadership representation, workplace safety, and visibility. Women in Games argues that fairness must be treated as an active process that requires accountability and partnership across the ecosystem.
Five spheres of action and a living guide
The Manifesto sets out Women in Games’ work across five spheres of action - Industry, Education, Policy, Community, and Culture - areas designed to drive systemic change across studios, classrooms, boardrooms, and local communities worldwide.
Central to the initiative is partnership with corporate, education, and individual ambassadors, alongside global chapters and networks. Women in Games said collaboration is essential to delivering lasting change at scale.
The organization also introduced Women in Games Voices: The Living Guide, an expansion of its long-standing advocacy work. The platform will amplify the lived experiences of women across the industry through video, podcasts, essays, and educational resources, creating a dynamic global archive and learning hub.
“As the industry looks toward futures shaped by AI, virtual worlds, and the metaverse, who builds those systems matters,” Isaaman said. “Fairness is not charity — it is strategy. When women thrive, the industry thrives. This Manifesto is an invitation to the entire ecosystem to build a fair playing field together.”
