Very interesting post from Jolie O’Dell that discusses not just the reactions to the current inequality of women in tech, but the sociological reasonings behind that inequality. She opts to consider a long-term solution versus what she considers the inferior short-term approach. Whether you agree or disagree with her approach, setup, or conclusions, her logic is sound and it’s definitely worth a read.

In the past decade, I have noted a push toward the integration of women into the specific field of web-related technology, the aim of which is gender parity, a 50/50 percentage split between men and women in the industry.

I’ve heard well-meaning tirades on the reasons behind this push, and I’ve heard silly and flippant arguments, as well — atomic-age axioms that typically center around heteronormative expectations of feminine looks and dating/mating potential.

Today, I want to tell you that this push needs to stop immediately. While conducted with the best of intentions, it is damaging to technology, to the economy of our industry and most certainly to women themselves.

Most of all, this push is potentially damaging to the very future of gender and technology because it attempts to correct a widely recognized imbalance without examining how the imbalance got to be there in the first place.

(Source: jolieodell.wordpress.com)