An odd take: While I admire Margaret Hamilton, it has less to do with her undoubted technical chops, and more to do with her willingness to be a symbol, an icon, a photograph, a meme.
When I came to the geek trade in 1980, there were *lots* of women. The first two hardcore systems programmers I ever met were women.
I didn't need Hamilton to look up to, I already had two serious geek women to learn from.
That changed. There are many fewer women in the trade today than there were back then.
@GeePawHill The first ever swathe of programmers were women as the men saw the hardware as far more important.