The idea that women can't handle something like the Lena lorem ipsum seems more potentially offputting to women, to me.
Seems ironic that guys race over each other to claim a picture of a woman is the shibboleth that keeps women out.
Seems ironic that guys race over each other to claim a picture of a woman is the shibboleth that keeps women out.
But is it appropriate in context? Is it welcoming? If you have a choice of jobs, is it the kind of environment you prefer?
Or is it contributing to an image of "we're a bunch of immature boys who think it's funny to use a Playboy centerfold, har har, wait till you hear the sexist jokes we tell at lunch".
It's not the end of the world. But a welcoming and inclusive work environment is the sum of hundreds of little things. This is one of those things.
And come on -- the old line "what's the matter, can't you handle a joke?" is the oldest line in the book for "defending" sexist behavior. Expecting women to just "handle something" is not the right approach. We can be better than that.
Depends on whether you would consider an image very similar to many, many others that get compressed to JPEG is "appropriate" (i.e. relevant, representative), or whether you are asking as a prude.
> Is it welcoming?
I can't see anything unwelcoming about that picture, at least not in any other way than many people's flattering profile pictures on social media. It's just a head of an attractive woman, shot by a professional photographer.
It's not the picture itself that creates an obstacle. It's that emotionally-aware people want to go into a career where they like being around their co-workers.
So if they get the impression that many of the people in the field are completely tone-deaf about basic stuff, they start asking themselves questions like, "Since I have limited time on this planet, why would I want to spend it where a good percentage of the people around me are insufferable asshats?" And then they pick some other field. Not because they can't handle it. Because they know they can do better for themselves.
Really, defending something so clearly out-of-place is deeply suspicious. Maybe everyone can handle it but why are we being asked to?