Diversity in the gaming industry an ‘economic imperative’: Meta exec
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If the gaming industry wants to thrive, it should be reflective of the changing demographics, according to Sandhya Devanathan (Asia-Pacific vice president, global gaming business, Meta).
Devanathan stated that “it’s not only a socio-economic imperative.Street Signs Asia” Tuesday was International Women’s Day. Facebook’s company name was changed to Meta in 2021.
Gender diversity — by the numbers
In April 2021, the global gaming market was worth over $300 billion. This is only the beginning of a trend that will see it continue to grow. according to Accenture.
Devanathan said that women now make up nearly half of all the gamers in this industry.
This is what she cited Meta’s December 2020 research reportShe stated that many gamers would be more inclined to play the game or identify with it better if they could see themselves as the game’s characters.
She added that only 35% of respondents saw someone who represented them. It was noted that gamers with less representation would be less inclined to feel excluded from the game and to participate.
Meta: What are they doing?
Devanathan, when asked what Meta was doing to address these findings, said that Meta has partnered up with think tanks, civil rights groups, and academics to build “inclusion and diversity by design”.
The company announced an investment fund of $15 million and a research program for two years with this goal in mind.
Meta may be working to increase its diversity but it is not immune to criticism. The 2020 plan was criticized. annual diversity reportIt was also shown that the proportion of women employees rose from 36.3% to only 36.9% in 2018, while Black workers and Hispanic workers went from 8.4% up to just 9.9%. This also witnessed fewer women in its workforce in June 2021 than in the year before.
Devanathan who had spent 15 years working in banking before moving to the tech sector, admitted that it’s still not possible for all women in tech to have equal access. Devanathan said that her case is an exception, and that women still make up a small percentage of the boards.
She mentioned a Hewlett Packard internal reportThe study found that only half of men are qualified to apply for jobs, and only 40% of women meet the requirements.
CNBC asked her advice to women who are considering mid-career changes. She said that they should not discount their skillsets and knowledge.
According to her, there are many new job opportunities in emerging technology sectors. Many people might not have the necessary qualifications. Women should be willing to move across industries and learn new skills.
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