For transparency: Esports News UK editor Dom Sacco used to work full-time for British Esports between September 2016 and February 2021, and currently does some freelance work for them, producing their weekly email newsletter.
National esports federation British Esports has announced a new manifesto and key pillars for its diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiative: Women in Esports.
The new manifesto is as follows: “We are Women in Esports, and we are proud to lead the charge for change in the industry. We invite all individuals who share our values and our vision to join us in this mission. Together, we can create a more equitable and inclusive future for esports.”
The new key pillars include:
- Educating – We understand that long term improvement in underrepresentation can only be achieved through clear education that addresses diversity and inclusivity in esports.
- Engaging – We actively engage with individuals to participate and excel in the dynamic and rapidly evolving esports industry, highlighting the many career pathways and opportunities across all sectors.
- Empowering – We believe in empowering individuals to seize opportunities for growth and development in esports, while championing supportive environments that encourage free expression and creativity.
- Expertise – As experts in diversity, equity and inclusion, we consider it our responsibility to share our knowledge and insights with key stakeholders throughout esports, in order to encourage positive change and foster a more diverse and inclusive environment.
The news comes ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8th 2023. Women in Esports will be running a week-long ‘Centre Stage’ campaign to celebrate the day, highlighting women and marginalised genders in the esports industry through a series of spotlight content, interviews and charity streams.
Kicking off today (March 1st 2023), the Women in Esports campaign will also be raising donations for Womankind Worldwide, a global women’s rights organisation working in partnership with women’s movements to transform the lives of women and girls.
Billie Purdie, Women in Esports Manager at British Esports, said:
“Following our refreshed identity for 2023, we are delighted to share our key pillars and manifesto for Women in Esports.”
Billie Purdie, Women in Esports
“We intend to take the initiative to new heights this year, kicking off with our International Women’s Day celebrations. These key pillars and manifesto are a reflection of the aims of the initiative, and will help guide us to cultivate a more equitable space in the esports industry.”
Billie is also a part of women’s Valorant team Skelp NYX.
Women in Esports winners and other initiatives
Women in Esports staff Alice Leaman and Bryony-Hope Green also today won an MCV Women in Games Award for Education Impact, and Journalism Impact respectively, while Jasmine Hong was nominated for Career Mentor.
The news also comes as the separate Ally Women’s Open was announced, a new Rocket League women’s tournament.
The Women in Esports initiative has also been given a new identity refresh and logo.
There’s more info on the Women in Esports initiative on the British Esports website
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Dom is an award-winning writer and finalist of the Esports Journalist of the Year 2023 award. He graduated from Bournemouth University with a 2:1 degree in Multi-Media Journalism in 2007.
As a long-time gamer having first picked up the NES controller in the late ’80s, he has written for a range of publications including GamesTM, Nintendo Official Magazine, industry publication MCV and others. He worked as head of content for the British Esports Federation up until February 2021, when he stepped back to work full-time on Esports News UK and offer esports consultancy and freelance services. Note: Dom still produces the British Esports newsletter on a freelance basis, so our coverage of British Esports is always kept simple – usually just covering the occasional press release – because of this conflict of interest.
