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My colleague Garett Jones mentioned he’d just written on how to get more women in economics, just after I’d noticed a recent Science article, "Igniting Girls’ Interest in Science." Both of which raise the question: Do those who want more women in science, economics, politics, etc. understand that more women in some places requires fewer women elsewhere? If so, why don’t they tell us where exactly they want fewer women – and explain why the world is better with fewer women there? Without this, they sound like people pushing more state education spending without saying whose taxes should be raised to pay for it.
Sure, one could favor more skilled and productive women, which implies fewer women in lower skilled jobs. But if this is the issue the question should be where can women be the most productive, not how to get more women in science. And then why not listen to economists’ long-neglected advice on how most everyone could be more productive?
"Hey, I’m just saying …"
Where Want Fewer Women?
While today I might have a different answer, my answer at the time would be "In front of the TV". 100s of lifetimes have been spilled on TV dramas like "The OC", disproportionately women's. That's a start, anyway.
Edit: Next: Models. Lingerie models
Not only is the question "Where Do We Want Fewer Women?", but also "Where Do We Want More Men?". If we transfer a female from a position in X to one in computer science/engineering, then, to fill the vacancy, we need to tranfer a male from a position in computer sc/eng to one in X.