A new competition launching this week will help and encourage college-aged women who are pursuing careers in esports.
The 1,000 Dreams Fund (1DF), a national nonprofit that offers micro-grants to support the dreams of young women, is partnering with headset maker HyperX, entertainment company Allied Esports, and Samsung Electronics-owned HARMAN. 1DF will award $1,000 grants and behind-the-scenes VIP experiences to up to nine young women pursuing careers in esports and gaming.
Over the four-week competition, women can enter the inaugural BroadcastHER Academy Challenge to win a grant and an all-expenses paid trip to Allied Esports’ global flagship venue, HyperX Esports Arena Las Vegas. There, they’ll work side-by-side with production and executive teams to produce an event.
The non-traditional nature of esports and the fact that they are unaffected by any physical differences between players uniquely position them to have equal representation. But the industry is still male-dominated and can prove intimidating and challenging for women. The 1DF program is meant to give women with ambitions in esports real-world experience and access to key individuals as they pursue industry goals, projects and careers.
“In the current gaming industry, female gamers and esports professionals are an underrepresented segment, even though almost 50 percent of gamers worldwide are female,” said Wendy Lecot, business development manager at HyperX. “When young women do not see themselves represented in the workplace or in the competitive scene, they are less likely to be inspired by the industry as a viable career choice and may result in not applying for jobs or being hired.”
Initiatives like BroadcastHER help to break that cycle by introducing women to role models and heroes they can lean on and whose achievements they can aspire to, which can then encourage them to pursue careers in a profession that might otherwise seem male dominated and out-of-reach.
The fund will provide female esports enthusiasts and talented streamers with funds and training to accelerate whichever career path they choose to pursue in the gaming industry. They can use the reward to do anything from upgrading their equipment to funding additional training and pay for event travel.