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I think a big part of it is women just aren't interested in these jobs as much. Not that there isn't harassment, but if you asked most women and men, "do you wa

I think a big part of it is women just aren't interested in these jobs as much. Not that there isn't harassment, but if you asked most women and men, "do you want to be a welder?", I'm sure far more men than women would say yes.

HeyLaughingBoy 9y ago
I'll speak for my wife here. A big part of it is that many women are interested, but don't like the way they're treated on the job site. Mine worked for a lawn care company. She hates offices and would rather be outdoors. However, although she liked the actual work, she got sick of being around idiots who thought that since she was a woman she was automatically incapable of getting anything done. The company owner liked her work ethic and even asked her to come back after she quit, but the atmosphere was simply too toxic to be worth it.
ilamont 9y ago
Similar things have been said about female coders, founders, and technologists, including in the comments of HN. Yet it's also been demonstrated that women get paid less, have a tougher time advancing, and often experience harassment that males never have to deal with. https://www.fastcompany.com/40525199/just-2-of-vc-dollars-went-to-female-founders-in-2017 https://www.fastcompany.com/40525199/just-2-of-vc-dollars-we... https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jul/05/tesla-sexual-harassment-discrimination-engineer-fired https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jul/05/tesla-sex... https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14621765 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14621765
- jeffreyrogers 9y ago
  And it's also true that women make up a minority of CS students in universities. Discrimination and lack of interest can coexist and both be true reasons why people don't go into/stay in fields.
InclinedPlane 9y ago
They aren't interested because the work environments are hostile to them.
- jeffreyrogers 9y ago
  I think that's part of it, but I doubt it's the whole story.

HeyLaughingBoy 9y ago

I'll speak for my wife here. A big part of it is that many women are interested, but don't like the way they're treated on the job site. Mine worked for a lawn care company. She hates offices and would rather be outdoors. However, although she liked the actual work, she got sick of being around idiots who thought that since she was a woman she was automatically incapable of getting anything done. The company owner liked her work ethic and even asked her to come back after she quit, but the atmosphere was simply too toxic to be worth it.

ilamont 9y ago

Similar things have been said about female coders, founders, and technologists, including in the comments of HN. Yet it's also been demonstrated that women get paid less, have a tougher time advancing, and often experience harassment that males never have to deal with. https://www.fastcompany.com/40525199/just-2-of-vc-dollars-went-to-female-founders-in-2017 https://www.fastcompany.com/40525199/just-2-of-vc-dollars-we... https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jul/05/tesla-sexual-harassment-discrimination-engineer-fired https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/jul/05/tesla-sex... https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14621765 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=14621765

jeffreyrogers 9y ago
And it's also true that women make up a minority of CS students in universities. Discrimination and lack of interest can coexist and both be true reasons why people don't go into/stay in fields.

InclinedPlane 9y ago

They aren't interested because the work environments are hostile to them.

jeffreyrogers 9y ago
I think that's part of it, but I doubt it's the whole story.