When I mention that I work as a developer, I often receive inquisitive looks, but these glances become even more intense when I say that I work in the game industry.
At this point, it's important to note that this reaction has nothing to do with my gender identity. If I had to guess, I would attribute it to the common perception that the game industry in Brazil is predominantly associated with game consumption rather than game development.
Many people don't know that Brazil has a game development culture. (Did you know? Leave it in the comments!)
After the initial amazement subsides, the typical questions follow, and the conversation unfolds:
They: How did you start working with games?
Me: Honestly, I had no idea I would end up working in the game industry 😅
They: It must involve a lot of math; is it difficult?
Me: It depends on the game; some use more math than others!(it's hard)
They: Does it pay well or not?
Me: Is similar to any development role tbh.
They: Are there many women?
Me: ...
The last question is tricky, and it takes me a while to answer because I can only speak from my own limited experience. I began working at the company during the pandemic, I'm still working from home today, and the thing is, I'm the only woman on the team.
(I talked a bit more about my experiences as the only woman in the team in an interview I did on this subject; you can read more about it here.)
So, how to answer this question? Well, I typically respond with:
"Not enough"
It might come across as if I'm bitter or something, but it's quite the opposite.
It's important for me to highlight that there is still work to be done to ensure equal opportunities for women in the development industry as a whole. While the number of women in game development is higher than in the past, it's still a work in progress.
I like to believe that, by talking about it, I am in some way raising awareness about this issue, and perhaps even serving as an inspiration to young girls.
Quoting my own words from the interview (may sound a bit odd, but here it goes), I mentioned:
"I’m trying to preach the seed of coding to every woman I know and the ones I will ever meet"
I also shared my dream of creating a game entirely developed by women, from game design to storytelling, illustrations, development, and everything!
Who knows, right? A girl can always dream.
Also, one of my career goals for 2024, is to take a more active role in the game development community, fostering connections and deeper engagement with fellow female developers, participating in events when opportunities arise, and more!
Therefore, when I express "Not enough" it reflects a blend of challenges and aspirations, with the hope that we can continue to nurture diversity within the game industry.
With that said, I'm here and open to answering any questions you might have, whether they're related to technology, career, or concerns. Feel free to reach out this is a safe space 💜
Top comments (8)
Damn, I never stopped to think that way, in the company I worked for a year as a developer there were no women, now in my new job, my supervisor is a woman and I never stopped to think how difficult this can be and challenging it can be for her, I loved seeing your post, and thank you for sharing your life experiences, I just missed being in Portuguese, my English is still horrible 🦤.
You have no idea how happy I am that my post made an impact on you! Thank you for sharing your thoughts, these kinds of interactions are the sole reason why I decided to speak about this topic 💜
About the language, I wrote in English as a way to reach more people, but maybe I should make a PT-BR version 😅
And your English is not bad!
I ended up being a little curious and read your other articles and saw that your audience is very varied. Now I understand why I chose the language in English, but I think it would be interesting for a community that doesn't feel so comfortable with English to have a PT-BR version 🦤.
Pode deixar, vou fazer um versão traduzida para PT-BR! ☺️
Such an awesome post, Vanessa!!
It's really enlightening to hear about y🎸our experience as being the only woman on the team. To me you don't sound bitter at all, but determined, enthusiastic, and empathetic. It's cool that you're trying to spread the word and inspire other women to follow you into this path.
I genuinely believe that diversity builds better products... we need more game companies with women on the team! It will make for better games.
Anyway, love the post, your positive attitude, and your great choice of GIFS, haha. You rock!
Thank you, Michael! I'm pleased to know that I was able to convey the message behind my emotions, especially considering that English is not my first language. It's reassuring to hear your feedback and kind words!
I firmly believe that diversity is an asset we should leverage more. Different individuals bring unique life experiences and thought processes, and game development benefits greatly from that. It keeps things creative and exciting, you know?
Thank you once again for your words; they encourage me to continue writing! As for the GIFs, well, Anya is the queen of dramatic facial expressions! 😆
Brazil is a slept on country. Much appreciated for your post and I wish you nothing but awesome success.
Thank you for your kind words, I wish you all the best too!