This morning on Radio 4 I listened to two leading scientists saying that men

[Burney]

Perhaps not explicit sexism. But it might be about the fact that many companies continue to refuse to offer flexible working hours, which holds women back from rentering the workplace after having kids.

You’d obviously say that’s a lifestyle choice, but it is one that men make too but without it impacting their career chances.

I’m obviously playing devil’s advocate here.

If that were the case, you'd expect to see women entering the profession when young in similar or equal numbers to men, though, wouldn't you? Followed by a massive drop-off when they start having kids.

They don't. Not by a massively long chalk. And companies are falling over themselves to encourage women into engineering because it's really good PR for them. Nothing really changes, however. There are very good female engineers in senior positions - I know quite a few of them - and none of them feel they've ever faced serious discrimination either on a structural or cultural basis.

The fact is that men are more likely to want to be engineers and are more likely to be successful engineers than women.

[redgunamo]

That makes sense. Children are a McGuffin, mere human shields.

If that were the case, you'd expect to see women entering the profession when young in similar or equal numbers to men, though, wouldn't you? Followed by a massive drop-off when they start having kids.

They don't. Not by a massively long chalk. And companies are falling over themselves to encourage women into engineering because it's really good PR for them. Nothing really changes, however. There are very good female engineers in senior positions - I know quite a few of them - and none of them feel they've ever faced serious discrimination either on a structural or cultural basis.

The fact is that men are more likely to want to be engineers and are more likely to be successful engineers than women.