Supporting Women in the Games Industry: From Recruitment to Retention

By Liz Prince, Co-Founder of Empower-Up & Business Manager at Amiqus

March is Women’s History Month, a time to celebrate the achievements of women across every sector, including the video games industry. It’s also a moment to reflect honestly on where we are and what still needs to change.

The games industry has seen some progress over the past decade when it comes to at least acknowledging that women are under-represented in the workplace. After all, the numbers speak for themselves – while around half of all gamers are girls and women, they represent only a quarter to a third of the games workforce. Yet, while recruitment efforts may have improved in some areas, retention remains a persistent challenge, particularly for women navigating motherhood and caring responsibilities.

And, as Dr Marie-Claire Isaaman, CEO of Women in Games points out, this has a significant effect at leadership levels, where women are even scarcer: “The pressure point is mid-career.

“Across industries, the largest drop-off happens at the first promotion into management. Fewer women entering leadership tracks means far fewer reaching executive roles later.

“In games, women may represent up to a third of the workforce, but senior leadership representation remains significantly lower. The narrowing happens early and compounds quietly.

“Advancement frequently relies on informal sponsorship and networks. When those networks are homogenous, progression becomes uneven. Combined with mid-career attrition across tech, the pipeline steadily contracts.

“From a business standpoint, this is leakage. Companies invest in early talent and lose that investment before it matures into senior leadership capacity.

“Hiring numbers create a narrative of progress. Retention and promotion reveal reality.”

From our conversations with studios and with women and other under-represented genders in the industry, one theme consistently surfaces: attracting women into games is only half the story. The real test is whether workplaces are structured in ways that allow women to thrive long-term.

Here are some thoughts on how to support women in your studio…

Move Beyond ‘Diversity Hiring’ Toward Inclusive Cultures

It’s encouraging to see some studios investing in outreach and early-career pipelines for women. But hiring alone doesn’t create equity.

Retention begins with culture. Are women heard in meetings? Are their ideas credited appropriately? Are promotion pathways transparent? Is there zero tolerance for harassment – not just on paper, but in practice?

Inclusive cultures are built intentionally. That means:

• Clear reporting mechanisms for inappropriate behaviour
• Leadership training focused on unconscious bias
• Transparent salary bands and promotion criteria
• Accountability at senior levels for diversity and inclusion outcomes

Women are more likely to stay in environments where they feel psychologically safe and professionally valued – not merely present.

Tackle the ‘Motherhood Penalty’ Head-On

One of the most significant retention challenges in games is the drop-off that occurs when women become mothers.

Game development has long been associated with ‘crunch culture’ – extended hours, intense deadlines, and unpredictable workloads. While most studios are actively working to dismantle this norm, it still disproportionately impacts women with caring responsibilities.

Supporting mothers (and parents more broadly) requires structural change:

Flexible Working as Standard, Not a Favour: Remote and hybrid work options, flexible start and finish times, and output-based performance measures can make the difference between a woman staying in the industry or leaving it entirely. Flexibility should not be seen as a concession. It is a modern workforce necessity.

Enhanced Parental Leave Policies: Competitive maternity leave, equitable paternity leave, and shared parental leave encourage balance. When men are equally supported in taking leave, caregiving becomes normalised rather than gendered.

Phased Return-to-Work Options: A gradual return after maternity leave – reduced hours temporarily, adjusted workloads, or protected project roles – supports both performance and wellbeing.

Ultimately, retention improves when women don’t feel they must choose between family and career progression.

Mentorship and Sponsorship Matter

Formal mentorship programmes can be transformative, particularly in male-dominated environments. However, mentorship alone is not enough.

Women benefit enormously from sponsorship – senior leaders who actively advocate for their advancement, recommend them for projects, and champion them in promotion discussions.

Studios should look at:

• Cross-functional mentorship programmes
• Peer support networks for women
• Leadership sponsorship commitments tied to measurable goals

When women can see role models in senior positions – especially leaders who have navigated parenting – it sends a powerful message: you can build a sustainable career here.

Create Safe Spaces for Conversation

Retention improves when women feel comfortable discussing challenges without fear of stigma.

Employee resource groups (ERGs), women-in-games networks, and facilitated listening sessions give space for honest dialogue. But they must be backed by leadership action. Listening without implementing change erodes trust.

Leaders should regularly ask:

• What barriers are you experiencing?
• What would make this workplace sustainable long-term?
• What policies unintentionally disadvantage caregivers?

The answers may require rethinking long-held norms, but that’s precisely where progress lives.

Address Intersectionality

Women are not a monolith. Women of colour, LGBTQ+ women, women with disabilities, and women from lower socioeconomic backgrounds often face compounded barriers.

Retention strategies must reflect intersectional realities. Data collection, anonymous surveys, and inclusive policy design help ensure that initiatives support all women, not just a narrow segment.

Leadership Sets the Tone

Ultimately, retention is a leadership issue.

Studios that succeed in supporting women tend to have executives who:

• Publicly champion gender equity
• Model work-life balance themselves
• Take parental leave without stigma
• Hold managers accountable for inclusive team dynamics

Culture flows downward. When leadership demonstrates that flexibility, empathy, and equity are business priorities, retention follows.

During Women’s History Month, we celebrate pioneers who carved pathways in industries that weren’t built with them in mind. The video games industry owes much to women whose contributions were often overlooked or undervalued.

But celebration alone isn’t enough. The next chapter of progress depends not just on inviting women in – but on building environments where they can stay, grow, and lead.

Retention is not a ‘women’s issue’. It’s a talent strategy. It’s a productivity strategy. It’s a sustainability strategy.

The industry thrives when diverse perspectives shape the stories we tell and the worlds we build. Supporting women – particularly those balancing professional ambition with caregiving – ensures we don’t lose experienced, creative, and highly skilled talent at pivotal career stages.

The final word of advice comes from Dr Isaaman: “If fifty percent of your potential players are women and girls, yet your leadership and creative direction do not reflect that, you are limiting both perspective and market understanding. Diversity is not charitable, it is strategic. Gender diversity drives creativity, innovation and long-term resilience.

This means thinking carefully about recruitment processes, pay transparency, parental leave, flexible working, reporting structures and mentorship from day one. It means holding leadership accountable for measurable progress rather than relying on aspiration alone.

Inclusion is not a statement on a website. It is daily practice embedded into systems. And I would emphasise partnership. No organisation transforms a sector in isolation. 

Collaboration is one of the strongest tools for change. And Women in Games welcomes collaboration with studios of all sizes – please get in touch and help us to make the games industry a fairer and more equitable place for women at all stages in their careers.”

The Empower-Up website has more guidance on supporting women in the industry – including the legal obligations for studios – which you can find here.

Women in Games has recently published its Manifesto which you can read here.

Photo by Redmind Studio on Unsplash