Actually, I don't agree with much of what you've said. Men do have advantages, socially, politically, and economically, that women do not have, and those advan

Actually, I don't agree with much of what you've said. Men do have advantages, socially, politically, and economically, that women do not have, and those advantages are far more prevalent in STEM fields than most others. These programs, directed at young women, act as a counter-balance (though a weak one) to the societal pressures that keep them out of technology in the first place. When men (of any age) cry foul, well, I just don't have any sympathy. Even with these programs, the scales still weigh heavily in our favor. Up to this point, I've not taken a stance on this particular program, but I will not. There's plenty of research that suggests that the impact of public ridicule on young women is different than the impact on young men. While the reasons for this aren't, necessarily, clear, the reaction is different. Allowing young women to develop their skills in a "safe" environment where criticism can be sought from trusted sources prior to making that work public has been shown to be beneficial. So, in the end, I do support the idea of making it easier for young women to to get private github accounts. As I also support "girls only" clubs that help develop their skills, and counter act the social pressures that push young women away from technology in the first place. These programs do exactly as you suggest, they attempt to level the playing field by giving women certain advantages and encouragement to balance the social, political, and economic advantages that men already have. Until such time as we actually have gender equality, these programs are necessary.