It's kind of sad when you look at things from an even wider scale. A great deal of the "science" fields in general are male-dominated.
My significant other is currently working through a Computer Energering degree and she's the only female out of her class. It provides very interesting but also frustrating challanges.
Can you imagine the shoe being on the other foot? Imagine being in a large class where you're the only male person...EVERYONE knows your name dispite the fact you may only know a few people, and you fade in the backround and stand out all at the same time.
And then getting out into industry and having to face the same thing. A man needs to leave work eairly from work to pick up their kid....who notices or cares as long as they have permission? If a woman (pehaps the only woman) does the same...her absense is more readily noticed and any number of misconceptions may start to bubble up...just as an example.
I really don't have an answer to how how it became a male dominated industry, but it's up to us guys to help create a comfortable and productive enviroment where women in sciences can feel at ease and not intimidated by a room full of testosterone.
