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November 19, 2021
Women Win pushes boundaries to ensure that “funding for girls’ and women’s rights are responsive to the real needs of women and girls on the ground and that of their communities.” Recently, the organisation launched a new fund, ONSIDE Gaming, to support global girl, women and non-binary people-led initiatives that promote and advocate for gender justice in esports and gaming.
The global non-profit supports organisations that use sport as a tool to empower girls and young women to know and use their rights, specifically on gender-based violence, sexual and reproductive health and economic empowerment. Women Win was one of the project partners which won the 2020 Beyond Sport Global Award for Reduced Inequalities.
The fund comes as a response to gaming and esports still being areas of harassment, abuse, unhealthy pressure and predatory practices. The initiative aims to bridge the gap between the virtual and physical pitch by using the power of online gaming and esports to create social change that empowers girls and creates more gender-equitable communities, on and offline.
“More and more we see adolescent girls and young women coming together to create alternative visions of what they want gaming and esports to be like, how they want to operate, organise and advocate, and have greater clarity about the tools they will need to do so, and the values that can be embedded within them. ONSIDE Gaming envisions a world where girls and women exercise their right to play. We know that the creativity and innovation required for achieving gender justice is already out there, knitting itself through bonds of sisterhood and solidarity. All they need now are the resources to put their ideas into practice.”
ONSIDE Gaming will channel financial and influencing resources to support girls and women who are taking action in local, global and virtual communities to build an equal gaming ecosystem. They will collaborate with streamers and content creators to advance gender justice in esports and gaming.
Its Advisory Committee, which is made up of young leaders in the sector, advocate and are passionate about advancing gender justice in and through gaming and esports. Committee members will come together to review and select grantees, ensuring a fully participatory grant-making process.
“Marginalised genders don’t need any more advice. We’re good on unpaid internships and extra responsibilities. To truly invest in the diverse and inclusive future of gaming and esports, it takes active sponsorship and financial support. The Onside Gaming Fund empowers future and current leaders to take action and build a better future for everyone,” said Lindsey Migliore, ONSIDE Gaming Advisory Committee Member, Founder of GamerDoc and the Executive Director of Queer Women of Esports.
The initiative is a “pooled” fund, anchored by contributions from funders and sponsors from around the globe. The primary recipients of grants will be girls and young women-led groups, which are working to advance gender justice in gaming and esports. Resources will be used by them to drive further momentum in women and girls’ participation in esports and gaming.
The fund is opening a call for applications on Thursday, November 25. Eligible groups will be asked to describe how their work contributes to the vision and mission of ONSIDE to access unrestricted funds to continue their work and projects.
Priority will be given to girls/women-led groups and organisations serving underrepresented and marginalised communities. Moreover, the fund will actively look to support all cis, trans, non-binary and all other underrepresented groups and communities such as black, indigenous, mestizas, people of colour, LBTIQ+, refugees and migrant girls and women with or without disabilities.
ONSIDE Gaming will provide unrestricted re-grants of up to $10,000 USD to groups that meet the eligibility criteria and supports its mission to drive a sustained feminist movement that re-imagines and transforms gaming and esports.
If you are interested in fundraising or supporting ONSIDE Gaming to advance gender justice, please visit this page.
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