Ok Cupcake. When I say fairly develop I dont mean make them engineers. Especially senior engineers (at least before they've gained experience). I'm talking about fair and balanced promotions and raises.

I'm not sure why you have such a unicorn fetish, sounds like a personal problem but whatever, that's to problem not mine. It's not magical thinking to realize opportunities for a fair chance at advancement are a factor in where people choose to interview and accept jobs. That's true, regardless of gender.

If you know a particular company or industry has a gender based glass ceiling you're going to be less inclined to work there, stay there, or incest yourself in. This is common sense, not rainbows and glitter bombs.

If you or your company at not attracting female engineers of ANY level, even when offering good compensation pkgs and actively recruiting female candidates, even if there are less women engineers overall, then it's because they're going elsewhere. Even if there are fewer women engineers, they ARE out there. And they, like everyone else, at looking for what they believe is their best chance of success.

The only delusional thinking here is that you think that's you and/or your company. If it was, you'd have a company awash in female engineers.

My engineer dad made that happen within a year at his company once he got hiring say. But then, he's not a misogynist and he never pandered to the "good ole boys" club.