Readers React: It’s up to men to stop sexism in the tech world

To the editor: The bias against females in non-traditional occupations is pervasive. I’ve experienced it working in a field that tends to diminish us, and my daughter (a longtime gamer) had contact with it recently when the new guy in her circle insisted on explaining the rules to the cute-but-stupid girl. (“Why are women leaving the tech industry in droves?,” Feb. 22)

Men who feel uncomfortable in the company of women tend to categorize us as “the mom,” “the girlfriend” and so on, and when a female intrudes into their domain, it confounds their need for compartmentalization.

Having your accomplishments dismissed because you’re “just a girl” is demoralizing. A simple compliment from a decent man has sustained me for years, when a foreman told me that I was a “good hand” although some had complained about working with a woman.

Things will not change until brave men step up to support credentialed women in the tech field.

Jennifer Rabuchin, Burbank

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To the editor: In 1983, I quit my corporate job and started my own consulting company. Similar to the women in the article, I saw no future in corporate America for someone who was female and Asian.

Fortuitously, the personal computer came out and I jumped in to apply my 10 years of mainframe experience. It was the best career decision I made.

It is sad that the world has not advanced in all these years.

Ann Lau, Torrance

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