The world of gaming is such a big world, with so many options to choose from. Growing up, we’ve always been taught that gaming is for boys, while us gals have to stick to Barbies and Bratz. That didn’t sit well with Fernando Pereira, the man that founded the Girl Gamer initiative. So, we sat down with the man himself and got you all the tea on the Girl Gamer founder.
So, without further notice, Fernando Pereira….
Cosmo ME: How old were you when you began gaming?
Fernando Pereira: I started my gaming journey at a very young age, practically when I was just 6 years old, learning to use MS-DOS and install Drive B games. It’s somewhat funny to look back because nowadays many people don’t even know why our local computer hard drives are labelled as “Drive C”.
SUPPLIED
C: Why did you get into gaming?
F: I first got into gaming just because I thought it was fun, but later when games started to become multiplayer, I found them much more interesting because it was a way that I could use to still keep in touch with my friends, especially across borders.
C: What was your inspiration to found the Girl Gamer initiative?
F: Our mission at GROW UP ESPORTS has always been about social inclusion and creating a positive impact through education. Over the years, we’ve always witnessed and felt that the online toxicity towards women gamers was getting worse instead of better. When all the major esports events came to prominence and there were no women stepping foot on any stage, we knew that we had to try and do something to inspire change.
C: What is the biggest challenge you face in this role?
F: The biggest challenge we have is probably sensitizing people towards a behaviour change. Online harassment has always been there for as long as the internet exists, but we need to pass the message that it’s NOT OK to harass or even to witness harassment and do nothing.
C: What do you hope to achieve with the Girl Gamer initiative?
F: We hope to be a safe and inclusive space for women to have fun and compete, showcasing incredible talent to the world.
SUPPLIED
C: What advice would you give to a young girl gamer who wishes to become successful in your field?
F: The important thing is to remember that nobody can diminish our importance, nor determine what we can or can’t do. With real passion, everything is possible.
C: What are your thoughts on the term ‘girl gamer’?
F: The inverse term “gamer girl” developed negative connotations associated with it. We chose to name the event “girl gamer” with the objective of taking back the power of words, proving that there is no reason for any negative connotation to exist in the first place.
C: What skill set do you look for in someone who wants to join your team?
F: We value independent thinkers and creative problem-solvers. And multi-skills rather than specialization.
C: How does one qualify as a professional gamer?
F: Professional gamers would be people who have gaming as their full-time profession, meaning that they are paid to compete in gaming tournaments.
C: What’s your favourite game of all time?
F: This is a hard one, but I would probably distinguish between Single Player (The Witcher 3) and Multiplayer (World of Warcraft).