As part of its efforts to create an inclusive environment for women in the mobile games sector, Zynga announced its platinum sponsorship of the International Game Developers Association (IGDA) Foundation’s Women in Games Ambassador programme.

Led by an initiative named Women at Zynga, the sponsorship will enable the foundation to expand its outreach, helping women find their first professional opportunities in games development.

Jen MacLean, executive director at IGDA and managing director of IGDA Foundation, said: “We’re honoured to partner with Women at Zynga, as their mission to empower and support women across the gaming industry aligns with our core values of mentorship, access and advancement for everyone.”

Zynga CEO Frank Gibeau explained the company aspires to be “a top destination for women in gaming” and wants to “meaningfully empower and advance women in gaming and foster a thriving industry for all game developers.”

Women at Zynga, set up in 2011, will also provide scholarships to six female students from the USC School of Cinematic Arts’ Interactive Media & Games Division and Marshall School of Business.

The scholarships will give then access to attend the 2018 Game Developers Conference (GDC) in San Fransisco and receive career mentorship from Zynga game makers. The company is behind hit titles including FarmVille, Zynga Poker and Words With Friends.

In a statement, Zynga said 65 per cent of females aged ten to 65 years old in the US play mobile games, with women making up nearly half of all mobile gamers.

To promote a discussion on the status of women in gaming, Women at Zynga will host a group of industry leaders for a GDC panel focused on building diverse entertainment audiences and inclusive points of view in gaming, the company added.