Women in Computer Science

Paul De Palma in his article "Why Women Avoid Computer Science" published in the June 2001 issue of Communications of the ACM gives some suggestions for what can be done to get more women interested in studying computer science. When the article was written women were only earning 28% of the undergraduate degrees in that major. The author explains how computer science is in many ways similar to mathematics, an area of study pursued by nearly an equal number of men and women. He argues that university computer science programs need to emulate what their fellow math programs have done right in order to attract more women. The author points out that the student of mathematics relies mainly on drill and repetition of similar problems in order to gain proficiency. Another important similarity between math and CS that was left out in the article is that algorithms analysis in computer science and math proofs are both focused mainly on problem solving. Computer science is applied mathematics where theories are put into practice to get out a program that performs a given task. Computer science also involves the learning of many different languages. Problem solving and learning languages are both areas in which women are equal if not better at than men. I think the main reason fewer women choose to study computer science is based on past perceptions. There is really no reason as far as I can tell that more women don't get involved in computer science.