Women Undergraduate Enrollment in Computer Science Programs

Far fewer women than men enroll in Computer Science Programs, and according to some studies for every three men that enroll, only one woman does the same. Lack of suitable female role models, schools promulgating outmoded gender stereotypes, lack of access to computer equipment at school, lack of parental encouragement, playing of aggressive and violent computer games by their male peers and the outdated perception that women are not as good as men at math and logic all have been purported to fuel this. With all this baggage female engineer's self esteem is quashed, and these misconceptions continue to be propagated. With the right qualifications there is absolutely no reason why a computer literate female should not succeed in the world of Computer Science, Engineering or indeed get the top job.

While there are not a great number of role models, there are certainly a few from whom the prospective student can draw succor. The CEO of Hewlett Packard, Carly Fiorina, heads one of the largest computer companies in the world. The company has gone from strength to strength under her watchful eye. Starting out as an account executive she worked her way through the ranks by proving that she was the best person for the job. Another success story is Meg Whitman, CEO of e-Bay. Jill Barad, responsible for the success of ' Barbie' said, "If you're doing a good job and you're in an environment that's looking for good people, the opportunities will be there for us." The common theme amongst these success stories is that they had belief in themselves, they had the skills ... and they were all ' the best man for the job'.

The folks at AskMen.com fires back, however ... wondering if women are taking all the jobs.