AaB esport launches teams to protect women gamers from harassment

Women and girls who game online face sexist comments and harassment, but new teams at the esports association AaB esport aim to create a safer environment, DR reports. Laura Hinz, who plays Valorant, is part of one of the teams.

Hinz says it is not unusual to be told to “go back to the kitchen” or “shut up” while gaming. She has also encountered men moaning and sometimes masturbating into their microphones.

“If you’ve had a bad day, it can affect you mentally and make you think, ‘You’re right, too,’” Hinz says.

The teams are open only to girls and women. Their coaches have also been trained to handle incidents, says Lasse Storgaard Kirchhoff, deputy chair of AaB esport. “As soon as anything happens, we shut it down, so the bad culture doesn’t take hold,” he says.

Kirchhoff says the protected environment has had a positive effect, prompting other associations to follow suit and take responsibility. He also urges parents to intervene if they hear children shouting insults while gaming at home.

Lumi Zuleta, chief consultant at the Danish Institute for Human Rights, says it is a problem if gaming culture scares girls away. “The norms girls encounter online are also something they can meet on the other side of the screen. So it is important to take digital communities seriously,” she says.

Hinz’s advice to other gamers is simple: “Remember to speak politely. There are real people sitting on the other side.”