Parental and social expectations are a big one. As an Asian immigrant, and I knew plenty of Asian women who did superbly in high school - student council, extr

Parental and social expectations are a big one. As an Asian immigrant, and I knew plenty of Asian women who did superbly in high school - student council, extracurriculars, excellent academics, etc etc... who had the rug pulled from under them as soon as they graduated. Some of them made it into prestigious universities far from home - but weren't allowed to go, since "girls shouldn't be too far from family"... whereas dudes can, apparently. A few (thankfully not many) were dissuaded from going into lucrative fields since it "wouldn't leave time for children later" or would make it "unlikely to find a good husband" (in Asian circles this usually means stability and a fat paycheck). It would not surprise me if, among all the reasons why women are held back in society, their own parents are a huge cause.