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Tendency of using pronouns 'she/her' when talking about a random person

I was never interested in grammar and English in school. Now that I am older, I am finding it was more important than I gave it credit. Especially with the people I deal with at work.

Plus, I am finding an interest for it now.

Anyway, I've noticed over the years that when referring to a person, most books and articles tend to use the feminine form.

For example:

"A good programmer knows she should write tests."

Instead of using "he/she" they prefer to use "she". Same is true for "her" instead of "his/her".

Where did this come from? I'm not complaining, I actually prefer it. Reminds me of a "ladies first" mentality. But am I correct in assuming it is grammatically (or maybe politically) correct to use this form?

Thanks

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cbmeeks
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  • That's interesting, as in my experience, the opposite is true. The only time I've seen she used is when the antecedent is (or is likely) to be female.. – Dusty May 17 '11 at 14:17
  • Maybe feminists are more likely to complain if they are never mentioned than men in general ,) – mplungjan May 17 '11 at 14:20

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