They were positioned on one side of Hall B at the Poitiers exhibition center. This Sunday, March 31, 2024, around ten members of the Afrogameuses association came to participate in the Gamers Assembly. A first.
“We have wanted to come for several years, explains Jennifer Lufau, founder of the association. But, before participating, we wanted a real e-sport project. »
They found it with a tournament organized on the game “Taken 8”. Eight players qualified thanks to tournaments in Guadeloupe, Martinique, mainland France and even Kenya. The final takes place this Sunday at 4 p.m. on the main stage of the Gamers Assembly. “We are here to encourage women to go to tournaments. Some hold back because they hear comments like “go back to cooking”. These are things that have been reported to me”reports Jennifer Lufau.
A creation that dates back to 2020
The creation of Afrogameuses dates back to 2020. A period which corresponds to the moment when Jennifer resumed playing video games and became aware of the misogyny and ambient racism within the community. “I played when I was young and I already felt that, she testifies. But it was trivialized. I felt bad so I started playing in my corner, but no longer online. It was when I started again, when I became an adult, at the time of the movement Black Lives Matter that I became aware of this reality. »
“You can be a female video game player”
After discussions with other players, she realizes that she is not an isolated case. “The creation of Afrogameuses is to say: you can be a woman who plays video games. I felt that there was a real need to create this movement. »
Above all, she does not want to withdraw. “Everyone is accepted. The association is not reserved for women of African descent. »
For her, participating in this type of event is a way of changing things positively. “The community supports us. It’s moving in the right direction. »