Women in tech: Changing tides of the industry

Having worked across both IT and gambling, I’m lucky to be part of a pioneering generation of women who have worked to break down the barriers to entry in both industries. So much so, that we’re now seeing an environment emerge where we can say it is becoming the norm to see people treated equally, regardless of gender.

Looking back at my career, I hope I can share some inspiration to other women looking to follow in similar footsteps in the coming years – and I see a bright future ahead when it comes to equal opportunity.

I believe we’re now at a stage in 2021 where rather than seeing an environment where there is active discrimination, there is one where an inclusive work environment is now the norm.

This, I believe, is how we should approach the working world today, and it has always been my experience that progression, and recognition, is rooted in experience and work ethic – and should be approached by all with an assumption of that playing field as level.

This is how change happens and this is the new mindset we are seeing become established in the professional world today. We can now expect that nearly always (and certainly should never consider otherwise) that promotions should be awarded strictly on merit, with gender kept firmly out the picture.

This is one reason why I would like to show why the igaming community can offer a bright career future for all women out there looking to make a career out of tech, sales, marketing or design (or indeed any other role).

Shifting sands

For a vertical that has traditionally suffered negative bias, I believe we as a community all know what it is like to be judged on your success and merits rather than prejudice.

This open-minded attitude is one of the reasons we do so well as an industry and we can see this change happening in real time. Igaming has changed significantly since I joined it only two years ago, with a higher number of female professionals now present. Each one brings something different to the table, be it deep technical expertise, strong negotiation skills and everything in between.

The ratio of females to males at Evoplay is 42:58 and while that may seem a bold step for some in the traditionally male-dominated area of game development – for us this is not a result of any set hiring policy, but rather a focus on attracting skill and creativity. When you remove gender from the picture, it immediately ensures you’re looking at a wider pool of talent.

The brilliant thing about this is it shows how much things have changed in recent years when it comes to equal opportunity, and it’s something that fills me with hope and positivity when I think of the future careers of women looking to make their mark in igaming. This is especially the case in my home country of Ukraine and it’s been wonderful to see the impressive strides our country is making to further promote the development of its talent.

So much so, UNESCO’s international education rankings now place us fifth globally. This means that we’re in the top 5% of nations to have a higher education qualification, of which, roughly half go to women.

Testament to this is just how much of a major role we’re seeing Ukraine’s gaming suppliers now play in the European igaming industry and the future is looking incredibly bright here – and I hope we can set an example of all.

Studios all around Kiev are focused on attracting as diverse talent as possible to ensure they can produce titles that can really elevate their standing and appeal to an increasingly diverse player community. In my experience, women offer unique creative insights and your final product is likely to be better if there’s been diversity of thought in the production of it.

Our industry has a reputation for being slow to adapt but the inspirational females I work with disprove that outdated view every single day. In Ukraine and beyond, there are more women in leadership positions than ever before.

My advice to women considering a career in the world of igaming would be to make customer-oriented decisions, speak up for your ideas and never accept second best. We’ve come a long way in the fight for gender equality but the real progress has only just started.

Now is the time to put outdated perceptions behind us, irrespective of whether we’re male or female and focus on carrying on with all the fantastic work every one of us in the industry puts in to make sure that we’ve persevered over the last year.

Since joining Evoplay in 2019, Yanina Kaplya has built the company’s brand message from the ground up, boosting the reach of a ground-breaking portfolio that has earned widespread acclaim in the igaming industry and beyond.