[UbuntuWomen] Women learn more slowly, or can't learn, about computer science?

[Ryan Prior]

The other day, while meeting in a formal setting with some of my peers in my
school's computer science department, I offered to tutor somebody who had
sent out a distressed email. The student who needs help is a female
non-engineering major who is taking a C++ course and is struggling. Nobody
else seemed to have time or interest, and I was told I would be put in touch
with her.

However, later on and in an informal setting, one of the women in the group
told me something like "you know, women learn computer science more slowly,
and I'm worried that you will take a pace that is too fast for [the student
who needs help]."

This was, I judged, an insinuation that it would have been preferable to
have a female tutor for this female student and that, as a male, I am
somehow less qualified to render assistance. I challenged the comment with
one like "I doubt it will be an obstacle - I think that women can learn
computer science and I'm happy to give some individual assistance to this
person."

I was surprised at the hostile response I got. I was told that I am wrong,
that many women can't learn to master computers or have greater difficulty
doing so, and that just because I am smart enough to learn the technical
details of programming languages does not mean that I should hold other
people (especially my female peers) to that expectation.

Perhaps needless to say, I have not been put in contact with the student who
asked for help. I sincerely hope that somebody else decided to volunteer her
time.

It would not have been the first time I've tutored a female peer, and I feel
that I was treated unfairly in the situation, but it's left me somewhat
shaken. I've got a lot of questions, and I'd be interested to hear what
people in this group have to say.

It may be that I reacted in a sexist or macho or otherwise alienating way
that I'm too obtuse to realize. Is that an experience others have had? Are
many young women intimidated by their male peers? Is the opinion that women
need to be treated differently in computer science education widespread?
What should I do in the future if confronted with the same attitude?

Thanks for your time,
Ryan
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