As one of the most eventful years in the life cycle of eSports draws to a close, the issue of gender equality still looms heavily. The bottom line is women continue to experience anything from outright harassment and subtle discrimination in the world of competitive gaming. While there has been progress, e.g. Team Unikrn, far too many barriers to participation remain for the female gender.
Unfortunately, this issue has been incorrectly painted with a moral brush, instead of as a structural flaw. While other areas of concern, e.g. drug testing, have received sustained attention and drawn action from key players within the space. The lack of gender parity has been widely ignored, despite its adverse affect on the long-term prospects of eSports as a whole. In fact, women represent an invaluable, but untapped, resource capable of further elevating competitive gaming into the mainstream stratosphere.
For more on the subject, see:
- http://fortune.com/2015/11/17/oxent-wants-more-women-in-esports/
- http://esportsobserver.com/why-diversity-is-good-for-business-in-esports/
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Alex Fletcher is founder & president at eSports Group, where he helps customers meet their eSports advisory & consulting needs. When Alex isn’t glued to a screen, he spends time with his wife, their two dogs, and pretends to learn Polish. Feel free to stalk him on Twitter – @FletchUnleashed