Men viewing nerdy women as potential dating material is commonly cited by women as one of the things they most dislike about being anywhere near tech events and tech people. So I would suggest that you ask yourself whether you, personally, have contributed to women not wanting to get more involved in tech. Because you just might have.
Seriously, everything works out better for everyone in the long run if you value women as people first and foremost. Admittedly doing so reduces your opportunities to make passes at uninterested women. But it significantly improves your odds of success if you do make a pass, and greatly improves your odds of eventually winding up in a decent relationship.
I very much doubt that I, personally, have contributed to this, being as I am on the 'receiving end' so to speak. Anyway, anecdotally, I can't say I've ever encountered this. I mean the last time I got hit on by a guy in a technical context... wait, it's never happened. The closest thing I can think of is getting randomly upvoted on HN whenever I happen to mention my gender in a post, or similar.
If anything, guys in tech -- the real techies, that is -- are so horribly bad at talking to women that it's being viewed as an alien from outer space that's offputting, not being viewed as a pair of walking boobs. On that note, I definitely agree with valuing women as people. But in my experience, at least, male attitudes towards women in tech as sexual objects are not even remotely a factor. However, the concern that you won't even meet nerdy women if there aren't any women involved in tech is still valid, IMO!
Do you have data to support the hypothesis that women dislike being asked out by programmers?
If so, it might provide a useful means of distinguishing between the 'Roissy theory' (women are intolerant of low status men) I described downthread and scott_s's alternative theory (women don't want low status for themselves).
I think that men view most eligible women as potential dating material. If women find that being viewed as dating material at tech events is keeping theｍ from being involved in tech, they must be avoiding much of the other parts of society where they are exposed to men of breeding age.
