I am in CS education, and the efforts to decrease gender disparities in my field, from my perspective, are being driven by academics. People have this perceptio

I am in CS education, and the efforts to decrease gender disparities in my field, from my perspective, are being driven by academics. People have this perception that maybe this is being forced on us from on high or by outsiders with an agenda, but the reality is my colleagues are very motivated to solve this problem, and they don't need outside motivation or directives to do so. We are targeting academia because that's the industry we know best, we have the power and knowledge to change it, and we believe it will help our community. That we or others are not targeting the plumbing industry doesn't mean no one cares about that issue. Academics are very loud, and major media loves to amplify what we are saying and doing. I don't think plumbers and the plumbing industry enjoy the same status in American society. But it's probably an issue that plumbers and the plumbing industry should champion first rather than outsiders. With 5% female representation, there might not be a critical mass of women in that industry to start a movement for change, it will probably be up to male plumbers to see any effort get off the ground, so I am curious what their general feeling is. My female colleagues are the most motivated to solve this issue, as they are invested personally to see that future generations of women have an easier time in our industry. They host conferences and write papers about the issues most important to women in our field, and they derive solidarity and purpose from this comradery that motivates them. That kind of dynamic probably is harder to recreate in industries with 5% female participation.