Collaboration between UNICEF and the Video Game Coalition to establish career opportunities for female youth in the gaming and technology industry
In a groundbreaking move, UNICEF has formed a partnership with the Global Video Game Coalition (GVGC) to build a more inclusive and diverse digital future for girls worldwide. The partnership, announced at the launch of the Game Changers Coalition in Geneva, aims to equip 3 million adolescent girls, particularly in emerging economies, with skills for careers in the video game and tech industries.
The Game Changers Coalition unites key players such as Electronic Arts (EA), Roblox, Sony Interactive Entertainment, and Ubisoft, among others, in a shared commitment to closing gender gaps in tech and enhancing girls' STEAM skills. The video game industry is supporting UNICEF's mission of promoting gender equality and empowering young girls, as demonstrated by the early success of the pilot programme.
The initiative, which has already reached over 100,000 adolescent girls, parents, and teachers across 41 schools in Armenia, Brazil, Cambodia, India, Kazakhstan, and South Africa, blends traditional STEAM training with video game development. This innovative approach has increased participant retention rates by up to 40% compared to standard programmes.
The partnership builds on UNICEF's existing work of providing girls with digital and 21st-century skills through its Skills4Girls initiative. The GVGC, which serves as the voice and advocate for the global video game industry on video games and well-being, seeks to cultivate a dialogue with public health policymakers about the mental, physical, and social benefits of video game play and the industry's long-standing commitment to responsible game play.
The one-year plan of joint activities aims to scale impact and technical collaboration across multiple countries. Over the next three years, the partnership will contribute to UNICEF's goal of equipping 26 million girls worldwide with learning and skills-building opportunities.
UNICEF, with its commitment to the rights and wellbeing of every child, works in 190 countries and territories to provide practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere. This partnership with the GVGC is a significant step towards demonstrating the video game industry's potential for positive social change and improving outcomes for millions of adolescent girls around the world.
