These types of essays and studies really miss the entire point on why people choose careers.

I went to high school from 01-05 in a rather redneck area in Florida. Some would say white trash. And I'd agree with that. To put in perspective, the surrounding ~100 acres of my high school was cow grazing land.

We didn't have any real computer classes other than a typing class. Which helped kids who didn't have a good introduction to computers at least roughly know how to operate a Windows box. This was a mandatory class too. Which was pretty progressive at the time. Thus, obviously, the entire female population had to take the class and know some basic computer knowledge. That's roughly as far as anyone went with a computer class in my high school.

Beyond that, girls in advanced math classes, that was rare. Hell, the classes themselves were rare because the population of students willing to take EXTRA math classes, on top of their mandatory classes, was rare. Also, you just applied to take the class. Since the slots for the classes were never in danger of being totally filled, they took anyone who decided to do it. No questions asked. Some students should never have been in there (me especially for calculus at the time).

But I also discovered some interesting business classes in my junior and senior year. They had us do business focused competitions that were nation wide in scope. We literally got paid by the county to travel the country. Future Business Leaders of America. You want to know where all the smart girls went in my high school and I'd argue across America? Anything business related. The years I did it, I'd say it was roughly 60/40, with girls being the majority. It could have been me being a teenage boy, noticing the girls more. But 50/50 minimum.

I'd argue that women, in general, aren't stupid and think better long term. Especially when you take a population of above average intelligence people. I'd say above average intelligence women think better long term than the above average intelligence men. On average. Don't get into a hissy fit, it's also my general observation and experience in dealing with people. Anyways, why would they want to spend extra hours, alone, through their teen and adolescent years learning a math/engineering/science trade that just puts them as a "shiny employee" at best. You get better positions, respect, pay and free time as a business/management focused professional. Especially in the long term. Engineers, mathematicians, scientists rarely become big, awesome, influential, rich, famous people. It's survivorship bias if you think that's not true. It's the business focused folks that get that. A majority of STEM folks are at the whims of other people's checkbooks.

Seriously, as a guy in my early 30s right now, I drank the koolaid in my youth when it came to engineering. My career recently and luckily, led me away from programming and sway to the dark side.

I don't burn out anymore. I don't go crazy or get depressed. I actually focus on my health. I choose to take social time with people. I enjoy the outdoors. I have this crazy thing called free time now. And lots of it.

Yes, you can argue you can do all of that as a programmer or whatever your engineering focus is. But it's WAY harder to do so. And honestly, most people don't do it to the degree needed. Most people on here, I bet can say they've spent 16-18 hour days working in... the last 3 months. I use to do that weekly back in the day and wore that as a badge of honor (which was stupid). Hell, plenty of back to back days of that. How about late night phone calls over deploys that failed? Crashed servers? Dealing with users that break things constantly? Deadlines from hell? Take a bug down, adds 15 new bugs?

This past 2-3 years, my work day is done after roughly 6 hours or so. Fridays might see 3 to 4 hours of work.

If you really want to get women into STEM, the workplace and nature of the jobs need to change. And not the inclusive, coddling, safe space crap. The hours and general respect someone gets for being in STEM needs to change. I don't even recommend guys getting into STEM if they want to live ACTUAL happy lives. Why would I recommend women to do so? Hey, if you want to live in a lack luster social, if any, and be locked up for 10+ hours daily without outside hobbies or interests. General poor health without a lot of extra effort to try exercising and eating right. Sure, go STEM.

The dark side is awesome. We have whiskey, cigars and cookies. STEM has burn out, caffeine addiction and depression. To be fair, my background does give me a major advantage, even though I was never the best programmer and mechanical engineer. Hell, if the general community considered me average, I'd be happy. So, there is value in it. But, I still look back and see a very wasted life in my 20s. I have "lived" and been a more fulfilled person in the past year than my entire life between 18-29 as IT, programmer and engineer.

So, when I see that STEM lacks women, but choose to be business professionals, lawyers or anything else for that matter... they're right. Forcing people into STEM does not enrich said person's life. It's meant to enrich other people's pockets.