Levelling up | Gaming group calls on industry to tackle widespread gender inequality issues

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.