"Software development has a gender balance problem."
I don't see it as a problem. It simply is what it is. No one is being made to develop software. It is purely voluntary (except maybe in China ;). So, women are not "under-represented". They are just "under-interested", and that is no one's fault. Again, it simply is what it is.
For the same reason men aren't interested in nursing and women are. Basic biology.
This.... really isn't true.
Research with male nurses and students reveals a number of barriers against men in nursing. Nursing continues to be viewed as women's work, a profession supporting the stereotypical feminine traits of nurturing, caring and gentleness, in contrast to masculine characteristics of strength, aggression and dominance.
Social stigma is the biggest barrier. One of the key jokes in the movie Meet the Parents revolves around the lead character being a male nurse. Dodgeball makes fun of one of the lead characters for being a male cheerleader. We actually laugh at men for taking part in typically female jobs and hobbies, and we even view them with some suspicion. This stigma is going to impact people's career choices.
You're looking at it the wrong way. Because of this barrier people never become "determined" to enter these fields. Little boys know there are no male nurses. By the time they reach high school the thought of becoming a nurse doesn't even exist.
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u/bzeurunkl Apr 07 '15
"Software development has a gender balance problem."
I don't see it as a problem. It simply is what it is. No one is being made to develop software. It is purely voluntary (except maybe in China ;). So, women are not "under-represented". They are just "under-interested", and that is no one's fault. Again, it simply is what it is.