Gender distribution along measurable employment metrics in tech is not 50/50 and we can't say with any certainty that the reason behind it is innocuous or not.

Gender distribution along measurable employment metrics in tech is not 50/50 and we can't say with any certainty that the reason behind it is innocuous or not. That's one example of how a larger problem manifests: Until scientifically rigorous analysis is done to explain it, anyone with a narrative to push will attempt to fill the void. The interpretation of employment distribution and the actual reasons behind it are circles on a Venn diagram. Any attempts to clarify where an interpretation overlaps or doesn't overlap is simply asking for a shouting match. Typically because A) people observe their own experiences and generalize them to apply to everyone B) politics can become a form of in-group signalling for cliques; making political views into social norms makes it even harder to question established views C) people stand to gain and lose based on what interpretations become widely accepted D) self fulfilling prophecies are a thing in sociology