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I'll highlight these since it comes up here a lot (and is the second comment on that page, right underneath the ever-expected kitchen joke) --

> Geek technology culture not appealing:

> Women: 20.6% Men: 34.3%

> Dispel stereotypes that boys are better than girls in math and science:

> Women: 48.9% Men: 31.0%

Working in technology is appealing to girls, but growing up being told that's not what girls do is what hurts.

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Well, there's no doubt that fathers would react negatively to a son playing with dolls, immersing themselves in fashion, or healthcare.

Is there such a pressure on girls? Do the mothers feel unnerved if their daughters start fiddling with lego?

The issue is even having those LEGOs to begin with, rather than worthless new [pink, sparkly] fashions for her Barbie. Personally, I was obsessed with American Girls because of how they represented historical times and had stories about their experiences living back then, even though my parents couldn't afford the dolls themselves. I also enjoyed having a dollhouse because it allowed me to problem-solve spatial situations while keeping design/foot traffic in mind. Having one that was modular/extendable would have been amazing, too. Little stuff like that.

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