Where We Actually are Now:

Currently women can and do contribute to physics and, through physics, to the welfare of humankind, but only in small numbers: women are an underutilized "intellectual reserve" (Conference).

Young women at Physics Laboratory, Wellesley College, original building (College Hall), burned March 17, 1914, women unidentified (http://www.aip.org/history/esva/catalog/esva/Physics_of.html)

A progressingly large number of girls have gained a little bit of exposure to physics by taking it in high school. By 1997, about one-half of high school physics students were girls. About 400,000 girls take high school physics every year.

Even though women are now earning more than one half of all bachelor’s degrees in the U.S., physics is not attracting women as quickly as other fields. When compared to other fields, women are largely underrepresented in physics at both the bachelor’s and PhD levels.

The Chinese Physical Society reported that 15% of its members are women.

The University of Potchefstroom reported awarding six first-level degrees to women and 61 to men
over the last 10 years.

At Tel Aviv University there were 12 Ph.D. degrees awarded to women and 53 awarded to men from 1998 to 2001.
(Ivie)

Through all of the surveys early encouragement to pursue education and an exposure early on to science are important. Most of the women surveyed had decided to go into physics early on.

There are many explanations as to why women have not played a very large role in physics. It is possible that women still experience discrimination today.