Are Women Better Than Men in Programming? A Personal Experience and a Scientific Perspective

Programming has long been a male-dominated field, but throughout my career, I have observed something intriguing: the women I worked with in programming demonstrated a high level of competence and precision. This made me wonder: Are women truly better than men in this field, or is this just a personal coincidence?

Personal Experience

Working with mixed-gender programming teams, I noticed several common traits among my female colleagues:

• Attention to detail and accuracy: Their code is clean and well-structured with fewer errors.

• Commitment and deep problem analysis: They often seek more efficient solutions before implementing them.

• Strong communication skills: This helps enhance teamwork and reduces misunderstandings when dealing with technical problems.

Of course, this does not mean that men lack these qualities, but I observed them more prominently among the women I worked with.

What Do Studies Say?

Some studies support this impression. For example, research published on GitHub found that code written by women is more likely to be accepted in code reviews—provided that the gender of the programmer is unknown to the reviewers. This finding suggests that women may write higher-quality code, but social factors play a role in their underappreciation.

On the other hand, other studies show that the number of women in programming was once high but has declined over time due to societal and cultural factors rather than a lack of competence.

Is It Just Personal Bias?

My personal experience may be influenced by the environment I worked in rather than being a general rule. It is also possible that women entering the programming field face greater challenges, making them more competent because they have to prove themselves in a male-dominated industry.

Additionally, there may be differences in work styles between genders—women may focus more on quality and detail, whereas men may prioritize speed, making performance comparisons more complex.

Conclusion

While my personal experience and some studies suggest that women may have certain advantages in programming, the most important truth is that success in this field depends on individual skills rather than gender. To create an ideal work environment, the focus should be on encouraging everyone—both men and women—to develop their skills and leverage their strengths.

Do you agree with me, or do you have a different experience? Share your thoughts!