RESEARCHERS from the University of Brighton are behind a pioneering new document that outlines future aims for women and gender equality in the virtual reality industry.

A Vision for Women in Virtual Reality has been created by 20 influential women in the UK VR workforce.

It is described as a “rallying cry to steer the industry in a direction that reflects society’s best self rather than its worst”.

VWVR aims to make the most of VR’s relative newness at a time where standards and norms are still being shaped in the field.

The document is designed as a “response to the present and a plan for the future, where the immersive sector challenges the status quo of gender imbalance in related industries”.

Helen Kennedy, head of the school of media at the University of Brighton, said: “My vision and ambition is to ensure the empowering tools of VR storytelling are accessible to all and the stories we tell and the images we create reflect the diversity of experiences that make up our shared culture.”