The last few years have been an uphill battle in that regard. Things are changing, but slowly. When I started, I often was the only woman at an event but thankfully, that has changed for the most part. It helps that more and more women are in hiring positions because that usually means that more women apply for jobs. If you see that “someone like you” has a position of power in a field you’d like to work in, you’re more likely to apply for a job in this field than otherwise.
Despite that, equality has still a long way to go. The gaming industry is not alone in that as it’s a societal problem that has to be overcome. It’s just very glaring in gaming as in all tech-related fields, that those were and sometimes still are viewed as predominantly male.
The answer to what obstacles have to be overcome vary from the location and kind of job you’re talking about. Generally speaking, I’d say that the top priorities should be closing the gender pay gap that we still often encounter as well as creating an attractive and most of all safe space for women and minorities. That includes leaving the toxic “dude-bro-culture” of the past behind and creating effective ways for people to report harassment. The last couple of months have shown us how huge that problem still is.
