Women better at assessing risk

[dianebrewster]

I was driving back from a dog walk the other day and caught a bit of this programme on radio 4 - it as about women and cybersecurity, Bletchley Park etc and the drive to recruit more women into the cybersecurity field. I need to listen to the whole thing properly, but there was an interesting bit where it was said that women were needed in this field because we are better at assessing risk.

Well, duh, that makes perfect sense, of course we are - and while intelligence agencies are trying to recruit us on that basis, police forces are ignoring us re DV and politicians patting us on the head and telling us to be kind re TRA activities.

The Long View: Women in Intelligence and Cyber security

www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m00050nt

It does seem intuitive, and fits into the "men are bigger risk takers" thinking too, which is often used to explain why they are more successful (and also bigger failures) at certain activities e.g. business.
But doesn't fit with women and men being equal at all.

Of course we are better at assessing risk, it stands to reason.

5 feet 2 me is walking down the street or through the park, it’s reasonably quiet, Most adults and teenagers are bigger than me so I’ve got my guard up wondering who is about, what they are doing and if there’s a chance they might be taking an interest in my presence.

6 foot man is on the same street or in the same park, most adults and teenagers are the same size or smaller than him so he’ll probably only pay attention to disturbances or direct threats.

It really isn’t rocket surgery, and all women know this, even the ones who are taller and stronger on average than most other women.

Would agree, although like a pP said it’s rather obvious.

I don’t like that kind of language though because it encourages stereotyping of the genders. If women are better at assessing risks, what are men better at ? Business ? Earning money? Being CEOs? Does that mean women are also better cleaners ? housewives ? teachers ? Nurses ? All of these stereotypes have only arisen because of society rather than an because it’s something women or men actually are. Women aren’t inherently better risk assessors. Perhaps that’s just because say at night time they have more to fear than a man e.g. rape

And of course women have borne most of the responsibility for raising their children for generations so are risk-assessing not just for themselves but for their offspring too.

I would figure that it came from raising children and is in there in our brains already pre-DC. Easy to see in a lot of public situations when observing interaction with kids out and about. The classic is a lot of men (no, not all!) pushing a pushchair with one hand down a hill next to a really busy road. I get that they are stronger, so one hand may be enough....assuming nothing likely to go wrong, but if it did....

I think most women have this more protective thing going on, to look after themselves (pregnant) and their offspring in a way that men don't. Makes genetic sense. Unlike cleaning, as a basic level of hygiene should be natural for both sexes.