'Women in IT' versus 'Women?... In IT?'

About once a month we'll be sent the findings of one survey or another which claims there aren't enough women in IT (read today's story here http://www.silicon.com/a55503 ).

Over time, we've given our opinion on this perennial hot potato, so for a change we got out and about and asked people close to the situation - from a male CEO at a high-tech firm to a female student - what they thought. Here's what they had to say:

Steven Lewis, 42, CEO
"I'd love to see more women in the workplace - but it's something that's not going to change overnight. IT is a male-dominated sector and as such it might not appeal to women. Perhaps the sector needs a make-over, but it's almost insulting to suggest women have just forgotten about IT - or don't know it's an option. They probably know all too well that it's an option, but as it stands it's not one they're interested in."

Helen Watson, 21, law student
"When I was choosing my A-levels I did think about doing computing. It was on offer and we had pretty good facilities at my school, but in truth I didn't think about it for very long. It doesn't surprise me that there are far more men working in IT, but perhaps what nobody's considered is that the gender breakdown is just nature taking its course. Women probably just don't want to work in IT. I'm sure I'm wrong in thinking it's all long-haired lads in sci-fi t-shirts with no social life, but that can't just be a myth - it's got to come from somewhere and life's just too short to spend sat around with these people, flicking switches and talking about Star Trek."

Barry Jones, 23, IT helpdesk
"I'd love to have a few more girls around the place. Don't know if they'd be up to the work or not, but as long as they're pleasing on the eye then it can't be a bad thing."

Claire Bryant, 30, systems administrator
"I know I'm pretty unusual. I suspect I could work my whole life and never meet another woman doing my job. My dad got me into computers when I was in my teens and I've been interested ever since. By the time I went to sixth form college I was the only girl on my course - and in that situation you do have to put up with a bit of stick, but if you want to do it, then there's nothing stopping you. I believe the opportunities are there - almost certainly more so now than in my day.

"As for whether the government should do more - I think the answer is still probably yes. Better advertising of courses targeting girls would be a start, but something also needs to be done to address the image crisis which afflicts IT."

Yolanda Pedersen, 41, recruitment consultant
"I think it's terrible that women aren't more involved in IT. We fill vacancies at major technology firms and probably 90 per cent of the candidates are men.

"I blame everybody from schools right up to the government. It's a crime that women are encouraged to go into jobs like teaching or secretarial posts, while men are raking it in working in the IT sector. Schools need to start making more girls take computing at an early age."

Peter Jackson, 40, HR manager
"Things will change, but it takes time. IT is a relatively new sector but it's still mired in some outdated attitudes. Many of the current decision makers within IT grew up when the education system and workplace were still fairly segregated. Even in my day it was science for the boys, home economics for the girls - therefore it's natural the high-tech pioneers, by default more than merit, were all men. It will take maybe one or two more generations to pass through the system before things will start evening out."