Why we don't need more women in computing

I've just been reading a Twitter blog post about how the company is encouraging more women to get into computing.

"We have an active Women in Engineering group (@womeng) at Twitter, made up of women and men, both engineers and non-engineers, who are passionate about encouraging young women to opt for and stay in computer science."

Twitter has been working with Girls Who Code, a website that is dedicated to encouraging more girls to code.

"...new partnership with Girls Who Code... designed to introduce high school girls to software development skills."

According to Girls Who Code, only 14% of engineers are female, and only 14% of people who get computer science and engineering degrees are female. The site, and Twitter, want to change this and address the imbalance.

Why?

What you have to realise is that women and men are different and we aren't the same. We have different interests, different likes and dislikes. Some jobs and some types of work appeal more to women than they do to men, and some jobs and types of work appeal more to men than they do to women.

How many plumbers do you know who are women? Have you ever had a leaky pipe fixed or a new washing machine or bathroom plumbed in? Was it a man or woman that did the job? No doubt it was a man, but is it because of sexual discrimination? Is it a lack of encouragement for young girls to go into plumbing? Or is it because women simply don't like plumbing?

Trying to force a 50% ratio of women to men in every job is wrong. Of course we need equal opportunities for all, but a job that appeals to a man doesn't necessarily appeal to a women (and vice versa). Women will gravitate to those jobs and types of work that interest them and so will men.

Girls Who Code may never get the percentage of women in computer science and engineering up to 50% simply because women aren't as interested in the subject as men.