On its own, the fact that women represent less than 50% of the people involved in programming is not proof of sexism being worse in IT than in other fields; man

On its own, the fact that women represent less than 50% of the people involved in programming is not proof of sexism being worse in IT than in other fields; many other fields show significant gender imbalance. On its own, the fact that a number of women involved in IT complain publicly via the internet of sexism is not a proof that the situation is worse in IT than in other fields; women in IT are more likely to communicate via the internet than those in other fields. Yes, there are other factors in play (parents & school counsellors bias, peer pressure, etc.) that influence the choice of a career. But when you put it all together, it is hard to deny that there is a sexist attitude in IT. The fact that there might be a sexist attitude in other fields is not a valid excuse for not doing the right thing and call out those that show a lack of respect towards women in IT. [Yes, the same point could be made about other fields.] To deny that there is a problem is to be part of that problem. Respect from others is not something one should earn, it is something everyone should expect to receive.