[mrgoldenbrown]

>Then they go to university, and largely avoid CS because a) they haven't developed any prior interest in it and b) it is perceived as a difficult and male-dominated field. I think you're forgetting a few reasons that women have mentined when asked why they left, or avoided CS: c) they are actively steered away by advisors d) they are harassed by fellow students or professors.

[m4x]

Fair point, and those are definitely things that we should be consciously striving to minimise

I don't think it substantially changes anything I said earlier though.

If a girl has been actively programming since a younger age, she will have enough confidence to pursue CS without seeking an advisor or her peers' approval