Notes from old article on how university raised its female participation rate in CS

http://news.cnet.com/2008-1082-833090.html

Add more design experts of different viewpoints, different genders and different races, and you're going to get products that are much better in terms of meeting the needs of a broader number of people.

The other thing is, it's almost a question of democracy and equity. If technology jobs can really lead to economic opportunities and educational opportunities, they shouldn't just fall into the laps of a very narrow band of males.

They attach their interest in computing to other arenas, to a social context that's more people-oriented. We refer to this as computing with a purpose as opposed to programming for programming's sake or a totally technology-centric focus. But the curriculum and culture does not acknowledge this interdisciplinary, contextual orientation toward computer science.
We also found because of early socialization in schools and at home, and a sort of early claiming of the computer as a boy's toy, that girls who wanted to major in computer science and got into one of the top computer science departments in the country actually came in with less hands-on experience. Although there was absolutely no difference in ability, there was a difference in experience, which then led to a difference in confidence during the program.