The French board game designers' union has voted to ditch the masculine and go gender-inclusive, renaming itself in a move that reflects how seriously France's tabletop industry takes representation.
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See how it worksThe Societe des Auteurs de Jeux, which represents more than 800 game designers, is now the Syndicat des Auteurices de Jeux. The new name makes two changes. It swaps "Societe" (society) for "Syndicat" (union), reflecting its formal status as a trade union. And it replaces the masculine "Auteurs" with "Auteurices", a French term that combines the masculine "auteur" and feminine "autrice" into a single inclusive word.
"We wanted to change this name for two reasons," said president Audrey Bondurand. "First, we have officially been a union for several years now, and we wanted our name to reflect that. Second, in French, 'auteur' is not a gender-neutral word, but a masculine one."
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Start organising for freeMembers approved the change at the annual general meeting in Cannes, held alongside the Festival International des Jeux, the board gaming world's first major industry gathering each year. France is one of the biggest board game markets globally, and FIJ sets the tone for the rest of the calendar.
The union was formed in 2017 through a merger of three separate groups that recognised game designers needed collective representation as the industry grew. It operates an unusual lifetime membership model, meaning its ranks only ever increase.
France's tabletop scene has been pushing representation forward on several fronts. The As d'Or awards changed their rules this year to require entries to credit artists on the box for the first time. The union's rebrand adds another step in the same direction.
Sources: Board Game Wire | SAJ Official Site
