Striking graph. Having been there at the time, I'd propose roughly the same explanation she does, though in less loaded terms. The decline starts about 5-6 years after microcomputers became widely available. Assuming 4 years to graduate, that means the decline in women CS majors begins almost exactly at the time kids started to be able to hack in HS.
Up till 1980 or so, CS was like other engineering disciplines in that it was something most students started to learn in college. Few students arrive in college already proficient in mechanical engineering. But starting in the early 80s, students started to arrive who were already proficient (or at least, experienced) in programming. These kids were self-selected, and they were almost exclusively boys.
I once had an enlightening discussion on a company mailing list about this. The common complaint among the female programmers was that their university classes were directed towards these self-selected male know-it-alls, who had been overclocking their PCs since middle school. Many of the women, who were just making their first foray into Comp Sci in university, got so frustrated they almost quit. And these women eventually became great programmers, so imagine what the women of average talent experienced.
The funny thing is, when prompted, quite a few of the men chimed in that they resented these male uber-nerds too.
So maybe society just forgot how to teach computer science or programming to adults. It might be that the schools have a reliable business, graduating the inveterate nerdz-4-life.
And maybe that's why practically every student I interview codes like they didn't learn anything in university. (But that's another story.)
Up till 1980 or so, CS was like other engineering disciplines in that it was something most students started to learn in college. Few students arrive in college already proficient in mechanical engineering. But starting in the early 80s, students started to arrive who were already proficient (or at least, experienced) in programming. These kids were self-selected, and they were almost exclusively boys.