The Time for Women in Games

VeeCee writes "Next Generation has an interesting article on why few women are game developers, why it should change, and how." From the article: "Fulton then cited workforce statistics, showing that in 1950, 30 percent of women worked, compared with 70 percent six years ago. 'We're rapidly becoming equal players in the larger workforce. More women are playing games.' Citing a study that showed women outnumbered men as players in the 24 to 35 year-old demographic, Fulton granted that casual games were a factor. 'However I think there's an appetite there. As we get online, as the games start getting more interactive, more social, women are getting more and more interested in what it means to play games.'"

Comments

You are forgetting one important thing

[246o1]

There IS systematic discrimination against women, as well as several other factors that contribute to the way some of these careers work out. For instance, nurses. Many women become/became nurses rather than doctors because:
a) they are not expected to support a family alone, but are more likely to spend several years at home, so such an investment of time and money is less worthwhile
b) it is extremely difficult to take maternity leave for a year or whatever in the middle of med school or residency, whereas men are rarely expected to take time off for the birth of their child, and have no physical limitations during pregnancy, obviously
c) women are (to a much lower degree now) encouraged to take over caretaker roles rather than the "in charge" role of doctor.

Jobs like garbagemen, construction work, etc. are dominated by men for the same reason they are crappy jobs. They require a great deal of physical labor, something that men are genetically predisposed (through stronger upper bodies, more muscle mass in general, etc.) to be more fit for.

As far as men making up a greater number of criminals, that is mostly because men commit most crimes. Furthermore, there is a sexist tendency to not give women the death penalty (in barbarous places that still have it, like my homeland) which is commensurate to the racist tendency to give it more often to black defendants and explains a little bit the skewed demographics of death row.

Of course, the greatest inequality in society is between the rich and poor, but it seems naive to pretend that sexism is dead.