Women in Trading (men and women perspective)

I'm not a female, but I know quite a few female traders who have been around for a while (all of them are now in their 30s).  Obviously everyone is different, and I'm not trying to start some misogyny contest, but these are some general things I've heard from them: 

1. Females often handle direct feedback (especially in public) worse than males do. So when a senior guy on the desks calls you out because you fucked up their coffee order, it's not personal.  In trading, feedback is often harsh (you fuck up a trade, you lose money), so a lot of times desk culture cuts through a lot of bullshit and sugar-coating.  Just know that it's not because your'e female, it's because you're a junior person who doesn't have the baseline knowledge yet.  

2. On average, females have higher risk aversion - this doesn't say anything about you personally, but it does help explain why so many more females in S&T end up on the sales side over trading.  There is also a little bit of a feedback loop where incoming women see senior women more in sales, and naturally start gravitating towards those seats.  

3. The biggest impediment career wise in trading is often senior females.  This is tougher to swallow, and hopefully becomes less of an issue going forward.  Basically, in a job where females have been relatively uncommon (like in trading), the females that have stuck around will often try to "defend" their seat and achievements from other females.  I've had multiple friends at different shops tell me they would have senior level females actively stifle their career progression, either because of feeling threatened, or because they would be seen as replaceable going forward.  Stuff like giving a more junior or worse male trader more responsibilities, or passing over promotions until the younger females are older (e.g. "I got this book when I was 28, so I'm not giving it to any female under 30").  In general, males don't care that much, as long as the output is good.

4. The compliance culture at banks is way too tight for anyone to really go over the edge on blatant sexism (especially male to female).  For example, we would often do this thing with interns on seeing who would offer the cheapest dollar amount to shave their head (or one eyebrow, or something like that).  Usually one of the hardos would be way too aggressive and we'd lift them, and make a moment of it in the floor.  As a female, even if you put out a ridiculously low offer, nobody will ever make you shave your head, or do anything that sort of frat-hazy.  You have some in-built protections from this perspective.  

EDIT: Also, since you're interning, I think it's really important to understand what that entails.  Basically everyone is going to assume you know nothing.  Despite bring on the desk for the better part of a summer, you'll still sort of be the lowest priority person - the people on the desk need to do their actual jobs first and foremost.  The most important thing you can do is be attentive and be willing to learn things and ask good questions when people aren't busy.  This is agnostic of gender and is going to be way more impactful than any sort of male/female dynamics.  Your job is to learn and come across as engaged and intelligent - it's not to be the next John Arnold while you're on the desk.