The Code of Mars in Hieroglyphs, the Code of Venus in User Manual?

Ah, the old question of “who does it better, men or women?” It resurfaces in all fields, even in coding. According to a Wall Street Journal article, women write “more useful,” clearer, and better-documented code. Men, on the other hand, prefer mysterious lines worthy of a wizard’s grimoire. So, is this a real debate or just an IT troll? But where do we stand today, in 2024? Let’s explore this battle between Mars and Venus, keyboard in hand.

Women and Code: A Roadmap to Readability

Emma McGrattan, a figure in Silicon Valley, claims that women pay more attention to those who will later review their code. They fill it with helpful comments, explaining the “why” behind every decision. The result: code that looks more like a roadmap than a labyrinth.

In short, women’s code would be like a modern GPS: precise, clear, and always up to date. Men’s code? Sometimes more like an old treasure map, with cryptic annotations like: “Good luck understanding this, future dev.”

Is it really because women have a better method? Or because they know that, in a male-dominated field, they must prove their worth twice as much? Spoiler: it’s probably a bit of both.

Men and Their Cabalistic Code: An Ego Thing?

McGrattan points out a fact: some men use code as a way to prove their intelligence. As a result, opaque functions and variables that seem named in an alien language are common.

But let’s be honest: who hasn’t written a piece of code thinking, “I’m going to impress everyone with this super optimized line,” only to realize six months later that no one understands it, including themselves?

This phenomenon is more cultural than biological. In an industry where standing out is often valued over collaboration, many are tempted by unnecessary complexity. And this isn’t exclusive to men. So, the real question isn’t who does it, but why this behavior persists.

Sexism in Code: Still Relevant

In 2024, studies show that women make up about 23% of developers, a slight increase from 2021 (19%). But this progress remains slow, especially in technical leadership roles, where women hold only 14%. This underrepresentation contributes to the need for overperformance: every mistake is scrutinized, and every success harder to achieve.

Some research, like that published in 2024 by the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, shows that coding style differences are real but not systematic. On average, women adopt practices more oriented toward collaboration and maintainability. But these trends mainly reflect social dynamics: in a field that’s 80% male, women often have to prove their competence twice as much.

So, Who Writes the Best Code?

The best code is the one that doesn’t make the colleague who takes it over (or yourself, six months later) cry. So, let’s be honest… Venus’ code has some serious arguments.

• Document everything. Not a novel, but enough to avoid the famous “What is this thing?”
• Simplify. A clear, effective solution is better than a puzzle.
• Follow standards. Because no one should ever come across a variable named xFinal_FINAL2.

Yes, women often excel in these practices. Not because of a superpower coded in their DNA, but because they work in a field where they often have to prove their worth twice as much (a bit like integrators). This extra care isn’t innate; it’s a response to an environment that is still too unequal.

So, the next time you code, ask yourself: “Is this code worthy of Venus?”

A Code Without Labels

Women don’t write “different” code by nature, but rather because they operate in an environment (culture, societal pressure, inequality) that forces them to overperform in order to be recognized. These skills—clarity, collaboration, rigor—are not gender-specific, but are shaped by a culture created by society.

The real issue? Breaking stereotypes and creating an environment where everyone, without distinction, codes for the team and the future.

Useful code has no gender. It depends on the method, the intent, and the willingness to do better together. And while we may not settle the debate “Is the human being gendered?” today, we can at least say this: code, should not be.