Recently, we celebrated International Women’s Day and the theme #BreaktheBias. Women Love Tech spoke with five amazing female gamers who are doing just this every day on Twitch—they’re building channels, building communities and building the future of gaming, all while inspiring the next generation of streamers.
We asked Liddles, LifeofRubii, Rin_Vixen, Fangetta and Carla what they love about streaming their gameplay online and how we can #BreaktheBias to encourage more people who identify as women to stream. Check out their responses below!
Liddles
Liddles is an Aussie-gone-Kiwi gamer who live streams games of all genres in a “cosy yet chaotic” manner.
“I’ve been passionate about gaming my entire life. Growing up in rural Australia, it was a great way to stay connected and hang out with my friends outside of school.
I think that influenced me into adulthood with the desire to be part of a community of wonderful people with similar interests that I could enjoy in my downtime with them, which is what I found streaming on Twitch. It then transitioned into a full-time job and I love that I can do what I’m passionate about for a living.”
“We need to be given opportunities from organisations that not only support us but give us a platform to let us shine and be seen by other women that will make them think ‘If she can do it, so can I!’ I’m hoping the Twitch ANZ creator showcase for IWD will do this.
We also need to build each other up. It can be so easy to compare ourselves to one another and successes which can breed competitiveness. Something I’ve done in the past but learnt to instead be inspired by their success and learn from them on how to better improve my content. Let’s build supportive, meaningful friendships with other women within the industry and reach for the stars together.”
LifeofRubii
Rubii Red who streams under the handle LifeofRubii is a proud Lama Lama woman who’s a talented digital artist and has been streaming gameplay since 2019.
“The thing I love about streaming is being able to connect with like-minded people, and make new friends. Because of streaming Apex or any other FPS, I’ve managed to make some great friends over the years who I hold very dear to me. They’re almost like a family to me, and I’m very grateful.”
“I think for us to start encouraging women to stream, is to give women a safe space to be themselves. I’m very awkward and shy in the beginning and I tend to overthink and get into my head, but knowing that I have spaces that accept me wholeheartedly has allowed me to come out of my shell and form connections with other people. Having safe spaces where we build each other up, empower and motivate people and makes them feel like they can break through barriers.”
Rin_Vixen
Rin_Vixen’s a proud trans streamer who mainly plays Destiny 2 and is focused on making her corner of the Internet a safe space, said, “I just love being a goblin and trying to put as much good into the world as I can.”
“It isn’t about the games for me. It’s building a community and providing a space where anyone can feel like they belong. My goal when I started streaming was to be the representation I didn’t have growing up and provide a space similar to those I look up to like Valkyrae and EmmaLangevin, where the only difference between them and myself was my labels and personality. Fostering a community like theirs, a community of love and acceptance that embraces chaos, that is what I love.
On how can we #BreaktheBias and encourage more women to stream, Rin said:
“This is an extremely complicated issue. Unfortunately, we live in a world where people love to tear down women so we require a substantial change in the perception of women platform-wide. As it stands now, it’s going to be an uphill battle, so making that battle less arduous for any woman brave enough to tackle it is a good start.”
“Empowering people breaking into the space with more opportunities for women to shine and show that streaming is a space for everyone is the best foot forward. The stigma is changing slowly, but with consistent support and uplifting initiatives that stigma will change more rapidly.”
Fangetta
Fangetta’s a 23-year-old Kiwi living in Melbourne who streams a variety of games five days per week and says she “sucks at video games” but is “in denial about it”.
“I love streaming because it helps me to connect with other like-minded people online. I’ve built a community centred around my values, mindset and interests and enjoy how playing video games is now a social activity where I can connect with wonderful people and hold discussions of various depth and topics. Building my community has deepened my passion for gaming and helped me turn a hobby into my dream job. I love challenging myself to improve my skills and playing games I wouldn’t normally try while being supported by people who want to see me succeed and have fun.”
“Breaking the bias and encouraging more women to stream is important because there are already so many women who play video games, yet it continues to be a heavily male-dominated scene. It’s important to continue to uplift women who stream and give them the necessary tools and support. This way they can continue both creating content and being a role model to those who might be thinking about getting into streaming and showing them that it can be done. You can enjoy and succeed at streaming regardless of your gender. This is a place for all.”
Carla
Carla, an up-and-coming creator from Sydney who brings quirky, yet wholesome, energy to her streams that feature chill games and vibes with a hint of chaos, said:
“Streaming has been one of the most rewarding experiences for me. Being able to connect with people from all over the world is one thing, but the friends and memories you create are so special. Twitch is the home for so many to be themselves, which is incredibly powerful. I adore streaming on Twitch because I love making people’s day a little brighter — I will always cherish that.”
“Breaking the bias will always be a challenge, but we’re on the right track. We need to continue to come together as a community and a platform to educate, encourage and support ALL women on Twitch. Having open conversations and having the right tools to protect new and experienced streamers/viewers is a fantastic place to start!”
