Getting back to Vika, and her comment on fewer woman with notable awards in sciences than men...
(I don't know about States but this is not true for former Soviet Union. for example, we had roughly equal number of boys and girls in my class. Only one boy’s got a degree and approximately 10 girls. The ratio varies but roughly it is 1:1.)2 points: one, every society varies in what career and choices it considers 'appropriate' for women, and russia (and former USSR states)often lead the world in the number of women who pursued medicine... but it lags even behind the US when in comes to women in politics, (and the US is pretty far behind most of europe)and other areas... so your experience might be different than most europeans.
2)woman in western civilization (which would for me most definatelly include russia and all of the former states of the USSR,) have made many advance in the past 100 years.
the sufferegettes of england, and the US, (and here, i admit, i know less about other european countries customs, culture and law) set about to change societies views, and demanded political freedom (and the right to vote), and the right not to be chattel (ie, to own them selves, and property in their own name.) the right (and ability) to get an educations, came hard and late... with woman barred from many studies, Dr bill recently sent me a link, pointing out, a Jane Marcet, who wrote chemistry books (read by Michael Faraday, and others.. ) yet her name is general unknown to us, and even she apologies in the introduction of one of her books for being female... since science was general held to be 'to hard for women'
http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi745.htm with that kind of societial influence, only the strongest, smartest, and often, the most financially independent woman could persue science in the past, and the current history of the sciences reflects those influences.
are there exceptions, but even madam curie realized that she would not, could not become a member of the french academy of sciences, except that she was married, and she joined in partnership with her husband (who was french she was not) what if he were a great writer? or biologist instead of chemist like herself? maybe she would not have gotten the recognition.
are woman less intelectual than men? there is quote somewhere (in AWAD, from a long ago favorite quote thread) that had a woman making the point that a smart woman get further ahead in this world by being though of as pretty, not by being thought of as smart.. so the smart choice for women is pretty, not smart..
