I think women are more motivated to educate themselves because the few well-paying jobs that don't require a degree are largely unattractive to them. I live in an area with a large oil industry and it's not uncommon for kids right out of high school to go up to the oilfield and be making $80k within a few years. These are intensely physical jobs in remote areas that are almost exclusively done by men. The construction industry and most skilled trades are similar.