[Crito]

I believe the basic premise is that there is nothing in biology that makes computer science more interesting to men than it does to women.

Since it is not an imbalance that can be pinned on biology (perhaps unlike an imbalance in world weightlifting records?), the cause of the imbalance must be somehow 'nurture' related. Even if we do not consider the imbalance itself to be problematic, the imbalance is considered to be the result of some sort of bias that is assumed to be problematic.

For example, fewer women in tech may not be considered problematic in and of itself (though I believe many people think that it is), but the existence of this imbalance may be evidence of systematic sexual harassment, which certainly is problematic.

I might be getting this wrong, so I welcome corrections.

[rfnslyr]

Well, here's my take on it: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6977753

Most of the men I know and have talked to specifically about fighting for pay, have in fact put up a fight for their pay, while the women I worked with believed that their work will pay for itself and have no fought for a higher pay raise. The women that are top tier managers, were actually just as vicious as the guys, and by being this way, have attained the same things.

People are so quick to hop on to the social justice brigade when in reality its a much more complicated and personal issue, being lumped into the gender category.

[jacalata]

Have you ever read the research available on the different reactions people tend to have when a woman asks for higher pay/displays entitlement to better conditions in general, vs when a man does?

[Crito]

I don't really disagree. I guess my comment is more addressing the "less women than men in the industry" thing, and not the "women negotiate lower salaries than men" thing.