Why Are Women Leaving Computer Science?

nonethewiser•about 2 hours ago

Half of women leave by age 35.

How many men leave by age 35? Whats the baseline? Why doesn’t the article state this? Is 50% low?

neuronexmachina•13 minutes ago

From one of the linked sources: https://womenhack.com/women-in-tech-statistics/

>Women leave tech at 45% higher rates than men. [Accenture, 2024]

x313•about 1 hour ago

Following the citations, the original source is this 2013 paper: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4279242/pdf/nihms58...

The paper compares women in STEM to women outside STEM (as the baseline). However, the paper tracks a cohort of high school/college students from 1979, meaning they would've reached 35 by the 1990s.

pfannkuchen•about 2 hours ago

What percent of them are married to men in tech and then leave the industry after they have kids, since they can afford to live on a single income at that point even in HCOL areas? I would guess a lot.

gracefulliberty•about 1 hour ago

Would also like to see the stats of men who do the same.

graymalkin•about 5 hours ago

I am a woman with a grad degree in CS. I left the field because I was BORED. The field was full of stuffy types who were only interested in money. It still is.

salawat•1 minute ago

Fellow here who feels the same way. Industry seems hell bent on making the world worse by shoving processors where they don't belong. If that's the best this field can be arsed to aspire to, I'll find something else to do. No FIRE is worth knowing paving the path to a dystopian hellhole.

telesilla•about 2 hours ago

Try changing the field, some areas are still exciting and full of innovation in tech. Maybe be part of a small team, or even better start your own. Lots of opportunities to find funding for women-run outfits.

andsoitis•about 6 hours ago

> The number one reason women leave the field is a lack of confidence, or imposter syndrome,

> “They have a computer science degree.."

Haven't we been saying for a long time that a degree is not a sign of competence?

graymalkin•about 5 hours ago

I think that’s to try to make those who didn’t get one feel better, but yes it’s a problem. I always shush myself when I see it.

ButlerianJihad•about 1 hour ago

Earning a degree in any field is surely a sign of investment and commitment.

visha1v•about 6 hours ago

half of women leave the technology field by age 35

DiscourseFan•44 minutes ago

I think most women drop out of the workforce by 35

neuronexmachina•17 minutes ago

That doesn't seem to be true: https://www.cio.com/article/201905/women-in-tech-statistics-...

>Women leave the tech industry at 45% higher rates than men, and 50% of women leave the tech industry by age 35 compared to only 20% for other industries, according to Accenture.

Why Are Women Leaving Computer Science?

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