1. To Game or Not to Game: That is the Women’s Question. By: Courtney Sparrow

2. Gaming: What is it?  The use of various digital media/ platforms to run specialized applications geared towards entertainment.  Since the 1970’s gaming has become one of the most dominant forms of media.  Currently encompasses young, old, male and female audiences.

3. Gender Stereotypes Women  Weak  Emotional  Vulnerable  Sexuality as sin Men  Strong  Non-emotional  Impenetrable  Sexuality as an achievement.

4. Reflections of Gender in Gaming Women are often portrayed as overly sexual. This sexuality tends to be the focus. Example: Lara Croft from Tomb Raider. Idealized figure Impractical outfit Overtly sexual.

5. Reflections of Gender in Gaming Men are often depicted as muscled/ lean, and strong figures whose sexuality is a normal aspect of life. Example: Iron Bull Dragon Age Inquisition Muscular Impractical outfit Overtly sexual

6. This is normal?

7. Gender Stereotypes: Taught Behaviors  From early on girls are treated differently than boys.  “Fear becomes a go-to feminine trait, something girls are expected to feel and express at will.” (Paul)  This fear promotes this stereotype that female is the weaker sex.  “Misadventures meant that I should try again. With each triumph over fear and physical adversity, I gained confidence.” (Paul)

8. Try, Try Again… Doris Self- First female gamer. (Pictured Left) Roberta Williams: Co-Founder of Sierra, and Co-Creator Mystery House. Carol Shaw: The First female game programmer and designer. Dona Bailey: First female to design and arcade game; Centipede. Anne Westfall: Programmer and Co- Founder of Free Fall Associates. Amy Briggs: Creator of the first Adventure game geared towards girl gamers.

9. What is Online Harassment? Pew Research Center defines online harassment as: name-calling, efforts to be purposefully embarrassed, physical threats, harassment over a sustained period of time, sexual harassment, and stalking. (Duggan)

10. GamerGate: A Call to Action  “There’s a reason “gamer” has become a singular term in a way “comic book fan,” “movie buff” and “TV viewer” aren’t.” (Hudson)  Claims based in concern of ethics, and objectivity.  Targets are nearly exclusively women.  “One of the most common and disingenuous tactics used to undermine women in games is to claim that they’re not “real gamers” or that the works they produce aren’t real games.” (Hudson)

11. Where do we go From here? Education Awareness

12. The End Cohen, D. S. "The Most Important Women in the History of Video Games." About.com Tech. AboutTech, 16 Feb. 2016. Web. 16 Apr. 2016. http://classicgames.about.com/od/history/tp/HistoricWomeninClassicGames.ht m Duggan, Maeve. "5 Facts about Online Harassment." Pew Research Center RSS. Pew Research Center, 2014. Web. 18 Apr. 2016. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2014/10/30/5-facts-about-online- harassment/ Paul, Caroline. "Why Do We Teach Girls That It’s Cute to Be Scared?" The New York Times. The New York Times, 20 Feb. 2016. Web. 27 Feb. 2016. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/21/opinion/sunday/why-do-we-teach-girls- that-its-cute-to-be-scared.html?smprod=nytcore-ipad&smid=nytcore-ipad- share&_r=2 Hudson, Laura. "Gamergate Goons Can Scream All They Want, But They Can’t Stop Progress." Wired.com. Conde Nast Digital, 21 Oct. 2014. Web. 24 Apr. 2016. http://www.wired.com/2014/10/the-secret-about-gamergate-is-that-it-cant- stop-progress/