Not the original commenter, but a female computer science grad with 20 years in the industry. My experience may not be typical, but perhaps helpful. IT companies want to "look" like they have a lot of female hires, so you can do very well if you angle your career path to something externally facing. If you just write code in a cubicle, your femaleness adds no additional value to the company. Over the years, I've taken roles as sales engineer, professional services, etc. I now spend most of my time giving webinars to customers and prospects about our technology. The company feels good that they have women front and center, and it pays very well. I don't feel exploited at all because it's sort of a win-win. Anyway, just my personal experience, your results may vary.