Honoring Women's History Month and International Women's Day with the Women in Games CEO
This year, we celebrate Firesprite’s third anniversary as a proud Women in Games corporate ambassador. To honour Women’s History Month and this year’s International Women’s Day theme of ‘Accelerate Action’; we caught up with Dr Marie-Claire Isaaman, CEO of Women in Games, to discuss the organisation’s initiatives, celebrate their work, talk about the future, and amplify how businesses, individuals and the industry can support their equity, diversity and belonging mission.
A huge thank you to Dr Marie-Claire Isaaman for her time. Read our interview below, and stay tuned to our socials for more Women’s History Month celebrations as we amplify our women’s voices and celebrate our strong female game characters this March.
Thank you so much for joining us, Marie-Claire! Women In Games proudly believe that: “getting more women into games and esports should be framed as a national, international and strategic priority, a business case for stronger teams, better insights, innovative new products. We believe in more people, more diversity and more perspectives.”
Can you tell us more about the initiatives you spearhead, resources you make available to women in the industry, and work you do to achieve this crucial mission statement?
Women in Games is a UK-based, not-for-profit organisation operating at a global scale. We are transforming equity, diversity and belonging in the games industry through galvanising our community into action across the world.
We operate within 5 Spheres of Action, which are:
• Industry
• Education
• Policy
• Community
• Culture
Women in Games’ work aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s) and is primarily focused on Goal 5: ‘Achieve Gender Equality & Empower all Girls and Women’.
Women in Games advocates for all women, girls and people of diverse gender identities as well as transgender, gender diverse and intersex women.
Our Purpose: The purpose of Women in Games is to empower girls and women by building a fairer, safer, more equal global gaming ecosystem.
Our Vision: Women in Games’ vision is to ensure an environment where full equity of opportunity, treatment and conditions empowers all girls and women, of any ethnicity, orientation and background, to achieve their full potential within the global gaming ecosystem.
Our Mission: Our mission is to create new initiatives, activities, pathways and synergies that foster opportunities to empower girls and women.
By investing in women and girls, we will realise an equal playing field, drive positive cultural and societal change, and deliver significant benefits for the global gaming ecosystem.
We bring together agents of change, advocates, men and boys, champions, experts, grass-roots organisations and others for new dialogues and campaigns focused on shared solutions towards achieving fairness and equality for all.
In terms of initiatives and events, we host a series of events throughout the year for our community, most of which are free to attend. They include:
- Monthly Social Network Gatherings, which take place virtually on the second Wednesday of each month, from 4pm-6pm GMT
- Careers, Development & Networking Expo – taking place this year, virtually, on Wednesday March 12th
- Women in Games Annual Global Conference – October 10th
We also host the Cake & Fizz in-person networking event. Traditionally, this has been held during the Develop:Brighton Conference. This year, alongside the Develop:Brighton event, we are taking Cake & Fizz on tour to Nordic Game, Gamescom and Checkpoint Rome.
Meanwhile, to support studios and other games companies, we have published the Women in Games Guide: Building A Fair Playing Field, which will be updated during 2025. The Women in Games Manifesto represents a call to action for gender equity and equality for women in games and esports. And new for 2025/2026 is our Girls in Games campaign, which will focus on impactful events, initiatives, and activities aimed at unlocking the potential of young girls, and showing them the vast career opportunities available in the gaming sector.
2025 marks the third year of our proud association with Women In Games as a Corporate Ambassador. What makes the role of Corporate Ambassadors so significant and how can they best help amplify and further the mission of Women In Games?
Our Corporate Ambassadors represent a global collective of forward-thinking and proactive studios, games companies and esports organisations which align with the Purpose and actively engage with the Mission of Women in Games.
They participate with our agenda to support, empower and celebrate women and girls in games and esports around the world.
They take visible action and engage with impactful events, initiatives and research originated by Women in Games.
Women in Games asks that any company wishing to join our Programme commits to supporting our purpose and mission. And we are delighted that so many of our Corporate Ambassadors are committed to amplifying our work and supporting our events and initiatives.
You can find out more about the Programme here.
Women In Games just recently celebrated its 20th Anniversary, HUGE congratulations on this monumental milestone!! Can you tell us about some of the most proud and memorable moments your team have celebrated to-date?
The pandemic saw Women in Games pivot swiftly, in particular taking our events online Not only did that allow us to continue engaging with our community, but, significantly, it meant that we became a truly international organisation as we attracted delegates from all over the world. The majority of our events remain ‘virtual’, covering all time zones, and ensuring that they are accessible to all. We now enjoy audiences of several hundred women and allies at each of our events.
Our international reach has meant that we now boast over 2,200 Individual Ambassadors in 79 countries around the world. We launched the Women in Games Asia Chapter in 2022, with the success of the pilot meaning that we are now looking to onboard Chapters in additional territories and regions. In addition, last year, we announced that Women in Games Italia had become our first Women in Games Associate organisation; again, we are now speaking to organisations around the world who are keen to have an alliance with the Women in Games ‘mothership’. We have also launched ‘Guilds’ and ‘Societies’.
This new network of interconnected communities has been introduced to respond to the diverse cultural conditions and equally diverse needs of women in games around the world. Here’s the overview:
- Chapters – Global, integrated, international hubs of Women in Games
- Associates – National independent Women in Games organisations, endorsed by WIG
- Guilds – Integrated regional hubs of Women in Games, connecting educators of all levels with studios/businesses
- Societies – University and college independent social networks
Meanwhile, alongside the Corporate Ambassador and Individual Ambassador programmes, Women in Games in 2020 launched the Education Ambassador programme, a fast-growing community of leading educators and trainers who align with our mission.
Your most recent Annual Global Conference in October of 2024 was another excellent opportunity to strengthen networks and explore fostering better diversity in teams and outputs – our Game Designer, Emily, have a fantastic time taking part in your invaluable Inclusive Game Design panel! Can you tell us more about what inspired the ‘Grounded: An Exploration of Play Landscapes’ conference theme and some of your key takeaways from the event?
When we design our events we spend considerable time on identifying the themes, creating the vision and curating the content. The 2024 Women in Games Conference focused on the phenomenon of play and play spaces. How play is designed, developed and published, where play happens, and what play is and can be through the Women in Games Lens.
We wanted to provide an arena for discussion of the functions of play across multiple strands: from concept to publication – the makers and the players – the pleasure [of playing] and the pain [of toxic spaces].
We also wanted to explore and seriously consider the contemporary challenging context of gendered toxicity, harassment, misogyny and discrimination in what should be playful, safe spaces and as we always endeavour to showcase some of the best work being done to tackle this persistent issue and inspire others to take inspiration from that.
In your opinion, what are some of the biggest obstacles for women in games and women working to break into the industry? How might the industry better support overcoming or breaking down those barriers?
The Women in Games ‘Spheres of Action’ are a good way to highlight the obstacles and challenges facing women working in games, and women and girls playing in online spaces – and to showcase Women in Games’ commitment to tackling these areas. They are:
- Advocacy and Awareness: Challenge harmful stereotypes and biases. Raise awareness of gender inequality in the global gaming ecosystem.
- Community Building & Safety: Foster safe and inclusive communities. Provide multiple resources to support women and girls, and encourage positive behaviours in all.
- Insisting on Diverse Creative Representation: Of women and their ideas, in platforms, products and services.
- Supporting Education: All types, all levels – schools, training programmes, colleges, universities and research institutes.
- Promoting Entrepreneurship: Understanding investment landscapes and disseminating opportunities to support women in business.
- Focusing on Fairness: Our Women in Games Guide: Building a Fair Playing Field.
- Collaboration with Industry: Partner with game developers, publishers and other stakeholders to shape inclusivity and equality within the sector.
- Talent Development: Address the skills gap. Reach girls and young women, evolve talent and foster leadership culture.
- Conducting Research and Data Collection: On the state of gender equality in gaming. Use data-driven insights to inform strategies and measure progress.
- Challenging Toxicity and Harassment: Within the workplace and in all gaming spaces.
- Fostering Wellbeing, Mental, Physical and Social: Understand, disseminate and utilise new research and findings specifically on the health of girls and women.
- Prioritising Sustainability: Harnessing the power of PLAY to address the world’s most pressing challenges; partnering with others to bring about changed attitudes and behaviours.
Firesprite proudly have several Individual Ambassadors supporting your organisation. Can you tell our readers about your Individual Ambassadors programme and how they can get involved?
Established in 2016, the Individual Ambassador programme has grown from a grassroots project into an effective worldwide network. We have a community of over 2,200 Individual Ambassadors, in 79 countries, all working towards our mission. Each year we dedicate a day to our individual ambassadors at our Ambassador Only Gathering event, where resources are shared, learning is provided and networking takes place
Ambassadors are role models, individuals that others can look to for guidance, support and inspiration. The application submission process is ongoing, with quarterly announcements and onboarding.
You can find out more about the Programme and how to become an Ambassador here.
What other ways can individuals and industry bodies support your work?
Engage with Women in Games and our community!
Amplify our work, our events and our initiatives.
Support us via sponsorship and donations – we are a micro not-for-profit organisation, albeit with a global footprint, and most of our events and initiatives are free, so we rely on the support of partners, sponsors and donors.
Learn how to be a good ally – understand the challenges that face women in gaming, and take actions to support them.
As you celebrate 20 years of incredible Women in Games’ work; what most excites you about the future?
Women in Games is braced, and determined to not only continue our important work, but to take actions further in 2025 and beyond. We are backed by a passionate community of Individual, Corporate and Education Ambassadors, while our Chapters, Associates, Guilds and Societies network will grow significantly, allowing us to take our Vision and Mission to local regions. And we are currently signing exciting new agreements with local bodies and international organisations – more news to follow!
In short, we are excited about the future for the Women in Games organisation and community – despite the current challenges.
