Twitch star Imane ‘Pokimane’ Anys has claimed that there has been a “dramatic” improvement with the amount of gender diversity on the platform.
As a Twitch veteran, Pokimane is widely recognized as a trailblazer for her fellow female content creators but it hasn’t been easy. She’s frequently had to face misogynistic and abusive comments from internet trolls and even her male gaming teammates.
However, she’s always fought back against the hate, and the fact that she regularly tops the list of Twitch’s most popular female streamers speaks volumes.
Having been streaming since 2013, Pokimane has seen just how much the Amazon-owned platform has changed over the years and how it has become a more inclusive space for women, much to her delight.
Pokimane claims Twitch is increasingly “more diversified”
Sitting down with the Trash Taste podcast on September 9, Pokimane discussed her extensive Twitch career and her struggles as one of the few female streamers in her early days.
She claimed that throughout the years both Twitch as well as its audience have changed “so much” and is becoming “more diversified with every year” with regards to gender which she is incredibly grateful for. Especially, given the amount of sexist behavior she previously experienced playing League of Legends.
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She added: “Do you guys remember back in the day, especially when League was always the most popular game on Twitch, what was always running rampant was these videos talking about ‘female Twitch streamers and cleavage.’ That was the thing. That was the clickbait everywhere.”
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Not only that, but Pokimane became increasingly frustrated with the number of male viewers immediately labeling her as a “cam-girl” because she is a streamer.
When asked whether she felt like cam-girls should be blamed for causing this “negative stereotype,” Pokimane responded: “Someone told me once ‘you shouldn’t be upset at the female streamers who are doing that. You should be upset at the guys who are expecting you to do the same thing.'”
Unsurprisingly, fans have been increasingly worried about Pokimane having to deal with such behavior. Although, the Twitch star has just returned from a short streaming break and has vowed to dedicate more time to other platforms.
