How Bavaria Wants to Get More Women Into Games

The recent event 'Playdate: BayFiD meets Gamesstandort' was about networking women in Bavaria who are interested in the games industry. The Bavarian Minister of State, Dr. Fabian Mehring, wants to get more women involved in developing games and increase their visibility in the industry. "If you want to be Silicon Valley, you have to be Talent Valley today," he said.

At the 'Playdate' event organised by BayFiD on Friday, around 70 participants gathered to learn more about the games industry and discuss the importance of women as developers and consumers of computer and video games. "The fact that so few women are involved in the industry is unacceptable in view of demographic change and the exploding importance of the games industry," said Minister of State Dr Fabian Mehring. "That is why we are working together to inspire female talent for games in order to fully exploit our potential in the markets of tomorrow!" Mehring was speaking at the event 'Playdate: BayFiD meets Gamesstandort Bayern' on 19 July 2024 in Munich. For Mehring, the games industry is a booming sector and of great importance for Bavaria as a business location.

Speaking about women in IT and games, he said in his welcome speech: "As with IT in general, they still have a visibility problem in the games industry. We urgently need to change this, because the importance of this industry is growing at an explosive rate. That is why we want to inspire women to develop games. They should bring all their creativity to this field and benefit from the emerging market. They are also predestined to create games by women for women - true to the motto 'Games for Girls'."

Mehring believes that networks like BayFiD play a central role in inspiring female game developers. They offer mutual support and inspiration, as well as the opportunity to network and exchange ideas with role models, who were well represented at the Playdate. "Today's Playdate with the many experts from business, academia, education and the media shows just how much innovation and pioneering spirit is possible," said Mehring. "The lesson is clear: if we want to become the Silicon Valley of Europe, we have to be the Talent Valley of the present and closely network the female gaming pioneers in our home country - according to the motto: play in the future, don't play away the future".

The women's talent programme 'BayFiD - Bavaria's Women in Digital Professions' was one of the first initiatives of the Bavarian State Ministry for Digital Affairs. Since 2019, 50 women between the ages of 18 and 30 who are permanently resident in Bavaria have been selected for the programme each year. For one and a half years, they will gain concrete insights into digital professions in the major BayFiD partner companies, as well as in organisations and science. The programme is intended to serve as a springboard and professional network. Around 250 women and more than 100 voluntary mentors are now part of BayFiD.

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