It reminds me of a story. I was trying to recruit in the high schools. I decided I would get a group of 10 smart young girls together. I went around the table and I asked what they wanted to be when they were older. I heard doctor, I heard lawyer, I heard all sorts of things. Only one girl said she wanted to be in business. I asked them why. They said they wanted to do something that would make a difference in the world, and business is all about competition and laying people off.
I thought this is telling me that we, as business people, have not done a very good job explaining that business improves the quality of life for everyone because all of a sudden the standard of living goes up if you have a job and you're making money.
To answer your question, I think girls sometimes automatically discount certain careers based on stereotypes around careers.
The second thing I would say is that I sometimes see girls not having the same amount of confidence as I see young boys having. The boys are throwing their hands up, contributing. The girls are sometimes holding back a little, and when they do speak they're thoughtful and they're smart. I'm always encouraging them to take a leadership role. Don't just be on a committee, lead the committee. Chair something. Sometimes I see some hesitancy and I don't know where that lack of confidence comes from early in their lives.