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This paper presents findings regarding self-efficacy, which has been seen as an important variable for women's academic performance and perseverance, from in-depth interviews with 60 female undergraduate students majoring in computer science (CS) in 2007− 2008 in India. It shows that CS is viewed as a woman-friendly field, as it offers lucrative jobs, professional careers, safe working environments, flexible working hours, and independence. Verbal persuasion from family members provided additional support to pursue CS education. Though they did not have early exposure to a computer at home or in school, female students' school preparation in mathematics facilitated their academic performance. Their peers' desires to join and succeed in the CS field further enhanced their confidence. The findings suggest that self-efficacy, computing, and gender are constructed more diversely than generally accepted in …