Reminiscing Fall ’16 semester, my professor challenged our class with a social media scavenger hunt. She directed our class to hop on Twitter and find tweets that motivate and inspire us. I had a difficult time finding a tweet that made my little brown self want to kick some major ass. So, this blog post is dedicated to all of the girls in the world who dream big and need an empowerment anthem.
I’m lit 🔥 and I’m not talking about a Saturday night sipping on rosé, listening to Beyonce’s “Formation” feelin’ some type of way lit. I’m fired up because after Googling “female game designers” I found that I can count the number of female game designers with practically one hand. This was very unsettling and to no surprise the video game industry is dominated by males, like every other STEM-related job. ESA’s Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry found that 44% of women are game players. Then, ensued the Twitter rant:
In December of 2016, the White House hosted a Girls Make Games dev workshop. Kudos to Laila Shabir, you’re amazeballs! Yet, I want more. I want to level-up the femme gaming vision to ensure that game design is not just an optional workshop held over the summer but rigorous game design curriculums accessible in every school for all girls around the world. A scaffolded path where by the end, girls can proudly display their final products that will land them a bright and successful future. Why? Game design is the gateway to learning essential 21st century skills like story-telling, coding, problem-solving, and logic, to name a few.
Female game designers still do not have a voice in this MEGA billion dollar gaming industry and I’m determined to change that. We need different perspectives and stories. To all administrators, teachers, parents, and game-changers (pun intended): Young girls have a right to code, design, and create games.
This goes out to all of the little girls who have big dreams and want to invent, play, and make a difference in the world! The world wants to hear your dreams, stories, and wants you to express yourself through game design.
We need young girls & boys to know this isn’t a
#supermario age where a blonde Princess is in distress & needs rescuing
Design characters! Like a little girl with an afro chasing NASA spaceships or a little brown girl who dances her way through the neighborhood. Code your own game, express yourself, tell your story, and follow ‘what’s inside of you!’
Create. Create. Create.
If you’re a female game designer, game developer, or love making games – tag your posts with #femmegamemakers to share your femme-made game designs, characters, and stories!
Andrea Mozo 