Okay, now I'm mad.
I was on the animation nation message board and was reading some tripe about how there weren't many female animators because it's "male dominated" and "women aren't encouraged". This woman cited an example of how she took one class in animation, and the teacher told her "you're no good. Why do you want to do this? It's a boy's club anyways."
First of all, she's far from the first person to have a teacher tell her that she's not talented. I know many successful people, male and female, whose teachers told them they would go nowhere.
Second of all, who is encouraged to be an animator? I mean, yeah I hear all the stats about how girls are discouraged from joining certain fields, but you know, the most successful people I knew became so in spite of obstacles and the biggest failures I know had every opportunity handed to them on a silver platter. And when it comes to being an animator or cartoonist, what parent sees their kid scribbling and says "Johnny/Suzie, don't worry about doing your Math homework. Don't bother writing that English essay. You're gonna go far as a cartoonist!" Being a cartoonist is right up there with being a comedian in the parent top ten list of things they pray their child won't become.
If being discouraged is enough to make you stop pursuing something you love are you sure that you really do love it? If one teacher is enough to stop you from doing something, then maybe the teacher is right about you and you don't have any business trying to make a living at it.
When I was growing up, it was my mom that discouraged me from being an artist, and my Dad that would send me books on how to draw cartoon characters. He believes that the talent lies in the drive, the passion and the creativity. He believes that being the best is something you push yourself toward, not something you have the first time you pick up a pencil or get on stage or put on dance shoes. My mother was a more pragmatic type, she didn't really want me to be an artist, thought I'd be better as a teacher or a social worker. There were times as a kid when I'd draw something and she'd laugh at me and say I have no artistic talent. (Sorry Mom, but you did...) Did that stop me from being artistic? No. It's my responsibility to myself to not let the critics dictate my future. You're always going to have detractors, no matter what your background, and if you let them seal your fate for you, you really are a failure.
Do women have obstacles? Yeah, sure they do. But for most of them, their biggest obstacle is their own mind.