"In 1987, 42% of the software developers in America were women. And 34% of the systems analysts in America were women. ... the percentages of women who earned Computer Science degrees rose steadily, peaking at 37% in 1984."
While that's definitely higher, still seems like the field was male dominated (the majority were male).
That 37% dropped to 20% by 2006— nearly halved. It might not seem like a large percentage difference, but consider that that's the difference between the field being under 2:1 male and 4:1 male. That's the observation of interest here.
Definitely true, I was actually surprised the field wasn't originally the majority female since I remember reading that the original programmers were nearly all women.
The title "Systems Analyst" sometimes has absolutely nothing to do with software development. I know a couple of female Systems Analysts that know nothing about software development. I'm not even exaggerating.. they use a computer, sure, but they do not write or develop any software.
While that's definitely higher, still seems like the field was male dominated (the majority were male).