[mrgn]

No, and the answer why should be blindingly obvious to any intelligent person: computer engineering (as opposed to your chosen examples of truck driving childcare, and auto repair) is among the most well-paid, economically influential, and entrepreneurial profession today, and will become increasingly so in the future. Gender and race representation is simply of less concern for less aspirational, lower-paid professions that do not require extensive education or access to technical resources.

[adamnemecek]

So it's about equality and equal gender representation only in well paying professions? Doesn't sound all that equal to me.

[mrgn]

Perhaps you didn't read closely, but the fact that computer engineering is a well-paid profession is only a result of its demand, influence and importance to the future economy. Devoting equal time and resources encouraging people to abandon higher education in order to pursue unskilled labor may sound like "equality" to you, but hardly seems like a sound strategy for the economy or any industry.

[adamnemecek]

Well but all these initiatives are not so much about encouraging all people, but mostly women it appears.

[Dewie]

> Gender and race representation is simply of less concern for less aspirational, lower-paid professions that do not require extensive education or access to technical resources.

This comes off as classist, to me. I have had the impression that promoting equality and diversity in certain professions is partly motivated by a want to make more people feel welcome in the profession. That is, for minorities and such that already work in the profession to have a good work environment.

[enraged_camel]

This is exactly it. When people say shit like, "why aren't we encouraging women to become garbage collectors because that profession is entirely male dominated" they just demonstrate that they haven't thought about the issue thoroughly and they think gender balance is something to aspire towards just for its own sake.

edit: Thanks for the downvotes. I must have hit a sensitive spot.