I was at the February CRA-W grad workshop (Score 2, Insightful)

It was pretty darned cool to walk into a roomful of ms/phd female cs students. We had women from all over the US and Canada. I still keep up with some of the women I met.

The issue of why so few women are in computer science is a complicated issue with no easy fixes. I think we all suffer whenever there is a lack in diversity in any of our workplaces. At my school, we started a group for female computer science students. In the undergrad program, women were about 11%; grad, ~ 33% and most not american students. The general trend is that women come into the program excited about the major. Over time and in their classes, the enthusiasm is extinguished and the women switch to other majors. The objective for our women in cs group was to offer a support group to combat the isolation and retain the few women we had. I think consideration of the women in cs issue will improve the field for anyone that does not see themselves as the 'typical' male geek hacker getting sunburn from their monitor.

I strongly encourage anyone really interested in the dynamics involved to pick up the book mentioned in the article, Unlocking the Clubhouse by Margolis and Fisher.