How Grassroots Organizations Reimagine Girls’ Right to Play Online Games: A Qualitative Research Among Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

Girls’ right to play is not always evident worldwide, as most spaces are gendered spaces, reflective of gender roles and power dynamics. Girls’ right to play is limited in several areas, including the online gaming playfield. This thesis investigates the role of grassroots organizations among Sub-Saharan Africa in promoting girls’ right to play online games and presents findings from seven grassroots organizations among Sub-Saharan Africa. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was used and identified key pillars related to: (1) girls' access to online games, (2) girls’ empowerment and agency through participation to online games, and (3) the transformative effects of girls’ participation to online games in the community. The findings highlight several gender inequalities girls face in their communities such as gender roles, digital gender divide, poverty and gender-based violence. These inequalities limit girls in their right to play online games. Moreover, the results shed led on the importance of girls to participate in these areas, as participation in online games could improve their skills, reinforce their self-confidence, and could provide economic benefits. Girls’ participation to online games strengthen their social position, as efforts from the grassroots organizations include the involvement of the whole community and men, seeking for collective action and responsibility. The thesis ends with recommendations for practice and future research, such as the inclusion of the experiences of girls who benefit from the strategies employed by grassroots organizations.