Are women less talented in Computer Science?

• ``In 1986 in the former GDR, 50% of Computer Science students were women (after an incredible 80% in 1972 in TU Dresden). Since then, this has declined to approximately 10%." [1, p.6]

• The percentage of women among recipients of U.S. bachelor's degrees in Computer Science was 37% in 1984, but only 28% in 1994 [2]. The percentage has dropped further since then, even though more than half of all bachelor's degrees are awarded to women.

• If women were able to do Computer Science in the 1980's, surely they are qualified now, but they are making other choices.

• Women (on average) outscore men on the verbal portion of the SAT exam, used for college entrance in the United States. Skills measured by this exam are at least as important as mathematical ones in many areas of computer science research today, including visualization, artificial intelligence, computational linguistics, language and compiler design, human-computer interaction, etc.

  Males (on average) outscore women on the mathematical portion of the SAT exam, but the gap seems to be narrowing [3] and once math experience is factored out of studies comparing male and female math ability, most of the difference disappears [4].

• From the ``prehistory" of computers (Ada Lovelace) through its early history and up to the present, women have made fundamental and unique contributions to Computer Science [5].

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``In fact, most work with computers involves manipulation of information and communication with people, which relies as much on verbal and interpersonal skills as on mathematical abilities."
V. Clarke

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``[I]t is not true that girls are no good at computing or that they are not interested in computing, but it is true that both men and women believe that girls are no good at computing and believe that they do not like computing. Such beliefs are self-perpetuating, and difficult, but not impossible, to change."
V. Clarke

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