Inequity in Software Engineering: Looks that Matter

Inequity in software engineering has been discussed, primarily through disadvantage mechanisms while advantage mechanisms have received less attention. This paper posits that incorporating inequity frames theory into software engineering research can enhance our understanding of inequity. Our long-term objective is to unveil the challenges and opportunities of considering advantage lenses by examining the attractiveness advantage. This paper addresses the gap in empirical evidence on physical attractiveness as a climate dimension in the software engineering literature, presenting preliminary findings from a survey of 45 software professionals. Findings suggest that attractiveness advantage emerges as a promising area for future research.