I was at Radia Perlman 's talk. This is an excerpt: I got an email recently from a recruiter for a high tech company saying that they were very interested in me as a "female thought leader". I didn’t reply, because I wasn’t interested in the job, but I fantasized replying: Thank you for your interest. Although my credentials as a thought leader are impeccable, I must warn you that I am not that qualified as a female. I can’t walk in heels, I have no clothing sense, and I am not particularly decorative. What aspects of being female are important to this job?