I appreciate you sharing your story and your journey. For myself, I actually skipped the educational system as I have been teaching myself programming from the age of 14. (It started as a hobby and now it's a part of my full-time job.) It is upsetting to hear that educational systems are putting women down and discouraging them from pursuing their dream careers... Sadly, I can absolutely relate to what you are saying. And I wish that wasn't the case. There are wonderful men in the tech industry would treat everyone as equal and have their eyes squarely on the company/team goals. Then there are always the "others"--the ones who make the workplace hostile. I have tried quite a few different tactics for dealing with the latter. When I first started, I was fortunate to work at an all-female agency. At this time, I was oblivious to any sort of sexism at work (obviously haha.) I do feel like it groomed me to be strong and confident from the beginning, and I remind my old boss of that frequently. I've worked for about 5 companies now. There have been times I wanted to quit or transfer, because of sexual harassment or general hostile behaviour directed towards myself and other women I work with. However, after trying a few methods I found the following works best (at least for myself): For every hostile/harassment encounter, write it down. The person, the date, and summary of the interaction. This is will become your weapon stockpile, and it is very useful. (I have a long list.) Call them out. It takes a bit of strength to become comfortable doing this. "I would never speak to you as you just did to me. And I don't appreciate it." "That is extremely inappropriate. Don't let it happen again." or even a simple "Excuse me??" gets the message across. I assure you, every time I have confronted someone, their reaction is totally stunned and somewhat confused. If you are dealing with someone who is volatile or a massive hothead, be sure to confront him in a public space, and not in a private office or anywhere that allows him to physically or verbally lash out. I wish I could say that confronting bad behaviour puts an end to it. It doesn't. In my experience, half the offenders are repeat-offenders. Don't take that lightly, and don't blame yourself for their behaviour, lack of manners or short-sightedness. If things get to a point where you feel like you have to leave the company to escape constant harassment, go to HR first. And take your list (Item 1.) I have had to do this, and thankfully they reacted swiftly and took me very seriously. Having everything documented was a massive advantage to both myself and the HR department. It allowed them to be precise and made it clear that I meant business. (Legal action can cripple any larger company.) Don't put yourself in danger and don't stay somewhere that has an unhealthy environment. You deserve better. If you've done all you can, then it may be time to consider other companies. Remember, you are brilliant, talented, and bring a lot to the table. Any company would be glad to have your expertise. If your current company isn't doing enough to keep you happy, move on. Plus, you can negotiate a higher salary when you move ;) so it's not all bad. I love my job, and 95% of my coworkers are kind, inspiring, and smart people who I look forward to interacting with on a daily basis. I manage an amazing team and have had opportunities that I never thought possible for someone like me! At the end of the day, when I look at all that, I realize there are some things worth fighting for. I'm not the sort of person who gives up easily. So I won't just "give up" on my job because a few grown men think it's ok to act like a toddler. I wish you all the best in your career and hope that things continue to improve in our industry :) If you have questions or tips to add, please feel free.