Re: Why is there such a push to get women into IT?
@ Feargal Reilly
"Simple, strength through diversity."
So we should manipulate and discriminate to get women to take IT because of simple strength through diversity? Why?
"We know there are many females who do not follow their interests in technical fields as they do not see a viable career path"
And so they do what they want to do- aim for their specific idea or a career. If technical fields were of more interest then they would do it (I have met women who want do do IT, they do it because they want to. I admire that as I recognise it in my choice to do IT). I know people who want to do IT and people who fell into it during the last round of advertising of lots of money etc etc. I respect the ones who want to be there and do it because they want to, not because of their genitalia or the assumption that only one sex has free will/a brain.
"when young girls do not see other females involved in IT they shy away too"
Then let them follow their role models. If they dont see women in IT and discriminate against the profession based on sex then thats up to them. The ones who actually have an interest in the topic can come in and do the job they want to do. I have seen and worked with women in IT and they are as inspiring as the blokes. Often shabby T-shirt, shabby trousers and a whole lot of dust and dirt (all of us software developers btw).
"It's a vicious circle which needs to be broken by providing additional support and encouragement to those who might otherwise not engage."
Then I look forward to the amusement of the campaign to put men in various female dominated jobs and look for my comment explaining that we have brains and can make our own choices thanks. We dont need to break anything, we can let people be themselves and do what they want without saying 'hey you drones, you dont want that job, come do this one where you are a minority and public perception is that only freaks of your gender would bother!'. Instead off adding to the public perception of weirdness just leave the people to do what they want to do. And if you find a sexist moron who tells them they are doing the wrong thing then put that moron in his place. That is fair and free to all.
"Movements such as Coderdojo and Young Rewired State have seen 50:50 participation of male to females under the right conditions, but at other times this has been 90:10 due in part to the perception of young girls that coding isn't for them. We have to work at creating the right conditions until females coding is normalised."
Brain implants! Thats the way! Or if we aint so advanced yet lets go with indoctrination! What are the 'right conditions'? How badly must you manipulate someone to fit into your world view of what is correct? I know you mean well but so do all the other social engineering, overlord, dictator, crazy freakin nutjobs out there who are trying to impose their will over other people. I say this as a guy who took flak for being a dance teacher and choosing to have long hair. The narrow world view that something must be wrong because you want to tell girls what they want to do is no different to the rubbish I laughed off as I was growing up. If you do your thing and leave others to do their own thing then we dont need social engineering to make the 'right conditions' using polite words for manipulation such as 'support' and 'encouragement'.
Movements always exist to change the world. ISIS are giving it a shot now. Less radical we have a push that we want women to stop choosing what they want to do in life but to do X,Y,Z. Under the right conditions we can have women stay at home doing the cleaning and looking after her man as they toil away. Or using your words-
We have to work at creating the right conditions until stay at home females is normalised.
I dare you to propose that.