Gender Equality at Nordic Game 2013
At Nordic Game 2012 my session was about revealing myths about gender equality and gaming. The room was filled up to every seat and people were standing in the alleys. So the urge for gender equality was obvious. My presentation at Nordic Game 2012
This year I got upgraded to a larger room and had two sessions, a good grade I would say. It was so much fun and people in the audience had so many interesting questions. You can find my presentations here:
Arguments for Gender Equality
The issue of gender equality in the gaming industry has perhaps never been more relevant than this year. Women are knocking on the seemingly locked doors of gaming and organizations are struggling to become more inclusive and inviting to both female and male gamers.
The Intersection Between Stress and Creativity
Creative environments are often lined with hard to define goals and committed people with high performance requirements. This lecture will give you knowledge in areas which could prevent burnout and how to manage stress. Be inspired in how you as a leader and as a committed employee can act to create a more results-oriented team spirit, where the inevitable feeling of stress becomes a driving force to make the most of the diversity of the group, instead of a wall to crash into in. Become the best leader you can be – in the intersection between stress and creativity.
My thanks to the team behind Nordic Game for giving the Gender Equality-issues a ”bigger room” this year, and hopefully we’ll meet again next year.
I’ll make $1.2 million less than my male classmates
Here’s some food for thought while you celebrate these lovely holidays with family. Research shows that, with my fancy college degree, I will earn, on average, $1.2 million less over my career than my male college classmates. This is because my average starting wage is lower, and therefore all raises are also lower, since raises are based on initial wages.
Actually, it’s even worse since I have my Master’s degree. Women with Medical degrees, Master’s degrees, or other advanced degrees will make $2 million on average less over their careers than male colleagues with the same job. (WAGE Project)
Granted, these numbers are for the US. But if you think that this problem doesn’t exist in Sweden, think again. In the 2012 ”Women And Men” by SCB, female professionals working in Marketing, Finance, and HR make 80% of what men do. Women working in Sales, Real Estate and related professions make 81% of what men make. You can download ”Women and Men 2012″ here.
Give yourself and your family a Christmas present that won’t stop giving this year – the gift of knowledge. Find out the average pay for your job, education and experience level and make sure you’re earning at least that. Also, make sure that your company, your Mom’s company, and your sister’s company are doing wage surveys every 3 years, as the Swedish law requires. Companies with 25+ employees have to do the wage survey every 3 years plus an action plan for gender-equal pay. If they need help, we at Add Gender can assist them. We’re talking about a lot of money here – more than a few extra Christmas presents under the tree!
Let’s fix the wage gap, one person at a time!
