Other thoughts (Score 1)

Some IT departments do not want Women in important positions for one, possibly, valid argument: Women can and will bare children. A medium company sized company I worked for in the past would not hire a young, vibrant female IT person that I wanted due to the possibility of her getting pregnant. Their point is that if I spend $$$ training this person on my special needs and equipment and then you leave for 3-6 months to have a child, how am I going to train a person to do their job? They may have unique skills that no one else in the company has and if you outsource the position, you risk your secure data - along with that person not knowing your equipment and software. I don't want to sound sexist, but If my budget as a small to medium business did not permit a back up person to be trained, then what is a hiring manager going to do?