In the realm of esports, competitive video gaming, merely a tiny fraction of earnings from tournaments make their way to women.
However, a college group at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa is striving to overturn this disparity. The community, known as the Women of UH Esports or Women of UHE, has been established to ensure that those of marginalized genders get fair opportunities to participate in gaming and potentially pursue a career in the gaming industry.
Madeline Gilbert, a player support coordinator for UHE, expressed that she has personally witnessed these gender-based divisions in esports, which caught her off guard even in contemporary times.
“Being familiar with the community, I also understand how insignificant the presence of women is in there, with it being mostly male-dominated. However, UHE sports is an exception in certain ways as it has welcomed numerous women into the program even before I was a part of it.”
A BBC article from 2021 has stated that none of the top 300 highest-earning esports players globally are females. It sheds light on how just a tiny part of the millions earned from global competitions is being awarded to women.
Gilbert mentioned that other esports programs at UH are largely male-dominated and very selective. Whereas, UHE provides women an entrance to gaming, facilitating their entry into the competitive arena.
“In general, the aim is to lend support to women in gaming and make it something considered normal,” she stated.
The story was broadcasted on The Conversation on January 29, 2024. The Conversation is aired every weekday at 11 a.m. on HPR-1.