Recently, a dialogue has started in the letters column of Dragon and Dungeon (a conversation that crops up every few years anew) concerning why so few females are involved in this hobby.
Moreover, the most recent of these letters in the most recent issue of Dungeon (#129) even discusses some of the reasons and possible solutions, which is, at least a step in the right direction.
However, I ask everyone to pick up their copy of 129 and after reading that letter, look at the facing page. An add for PBM games that shows the worst stereotype of a male gamer as someone who is a drooling idiot who responds not to reason but to a hair twirl and breasts. Consider what stereotype it's sending to female readers.
Of course, this is only one symptom of the problem. As I've just gotten my Underdark D&D miniatures I was very, very upset to see that the first fan created mini in the game, the first opportunity for a fan to make their mark on the game is a scantily clad woman who falls well within the realm of the Chix-n'-Chainmail school of fantasy. I mean, she's an angel in a halter top and bikini panties. Doesn't the man who designed this figure have a PhD? Really. . .
I for one, am not at all surprised women are turned off by our hobby in general, I know women who play, and women who would play except for the general population of most games.
You want more women to be involved, well, treat them as a group of gamers, not just "Girl-gamers" and cater to them the same as you would anyone else.
Michael Morrison