The notion that men and women have different brain structures is merely a myth pedalled by the “drip, drip, drip” of gender stereotyping, a neuroscientist has claimed on International Women’s Day.

In a speech at ScienceGrrls’s ‘Fighting the Neurotrash’ talk at the Women of the World Festival on Saturday, Neuroscientist Professor Gina Rippon claimed that gender differences are environmental and not innate, the Telegraph reported.

While a study published last year said that men are better suited to perception and co-ordinated action, and women have better mutli-tasking skills, Professor Rippon will claim that seemingly biological differences in brain wiring are easy to change.

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“The bottom line is that saying there are differences in male and female brains is just not true. There is pretty compelling evidence that any differences are tiny and are the result of environment not biology,” Professor Rippon, of Aston University Birmingham told the newspaper.

“You can’t pick up a brain and say ‘that’s a girls brain, or that’s a boys brain’ in the same way you can with the skeleton. They look the same.”

Shape Created with Sketch. Mothers and daughters from across the globe for IWD 2014 Show all 20 left Created with Sketch. right Created with Sketch. Shape Created with Sketch. Mothers and daughters from across the globe for IWD 2014 1/20 Mothers and daughters Vered, 43, with her daughter Alma, 13, in their home in Kibbutz Hukuk near the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel. Vered got a degree in design at the age of 27 and currently runs educational art projects in local communities. Vered hopes that her daughter Alma will find a profession that brings her happiness and satisfaction. Reuters 2/20 Mothers and daughters Charlotte Stafrace, 49, and her daughter Scarlett Stafarce, 9, in the living room of their home in Zebbug, outside Valletta. Charlotte is an actress and freelance drama teacher who finished her education at 17. Charlotte hopes her daughter will be a scientist when she grows up. Scarlett says she will finish education when she's about 25 and that she would like to be a vet. Reuters 3/20 Mothers and daughters Kang Hyun-jeong, 43, and her daughter Yoo Ha-min, 11, in the living room of their apartment in Seoul. Kang Hyun-jeong works in accounts. She says that she started working in her senior year of high school, but she began a business degree in 1999 at the Korea National Open University because she wanted to study more. Reuters 4/20 Mothers and daughters Mohanna Khanal, 35, and her daughter Vipassna Khanal, 12, in the kitchen of their apartment in Kathmandu. Mohanna is a school teacher who finished her education when she was 20 years old. Mohanna says that when she was a child, she wanted to become a flight attendant. Reuters 5/20 Mothers and daughters Kylie Glass, 40, and her daughter Abby Glass, 12, in Caringbah, Sydney. Kylie finished school at age 17 and now has a job training childcarers. She says that when she was growing up, she wanted to work with children. Kylie says she just wants her daughter to be healthy and happy. Abby says that she enjoys anything to do with science so might want to be a forensic policewoman or else do something completely different like become a hairdresser. Reuters 6/20 Mothers and daughters Adetola Ibitoye, 39, sits with her daughter Iteoluwa Ibitoye, 9, in their home in Omole district, Lagos. When Adetola was growing up, she wanted to run a fashion business. Now she is a clothes designer. Adetola says she wants her daughter to be the best at whatever she sets her mind to be. Her daughter Iteoluwa says she wants to grow up to be a university teacher. Reuters 7/20 Mothers and daughters Rima Bader, 44, with her daughter Reina, 13, inside their apartment in Beirut. Rima is an interior designer but she says that when she was growing up she wanted to be an engineer. Rima wants her daughter to work in whatever profession she chooses, but she says she would love to see her in the field of engineering. Reina says she will finish education when she is around 21 years old. Reuters 8/20 Mothers and daughters Lucy Oyela, 42, with her daughter Abber Lillian, 14, at their home in Onang near Gulu town in northern Uganda. Lucy is a farmer who finished her education at age 18. She said that when she was a child, she wanted to become a teacher when she grew up. Lucy says that she really wants for her daughter to become a nurse. Reuters 9/20 Mothers and daughters Raimunda Eliandra Alves, 45, with her daughter Ana Paula Leonardo Justino, 10, at their home at the Pavao-Pavaozinho slum in Rio de Janeiro. Raimunda is a supermarket cashier who finished her education at age 19. When she was a child, she wanted to become a math teacher when she grew up. She hopes that her daughter Ana Paula will become a veterinarian. Reuters 10/20 Mothers and daughters Niculina Fieraru, 39, with her daughter Flori Gabriela Dumitrache, 13, in their room in Gura Sutii village, Romania. Niculina Fieraru is unemployed and has two children. She hopes that her daughter Flori Gabriela will become a seamstress. Flori Gabriela wants to become a pop singer and she hopes to go to high school in a town 23 km (14 miles) away, but her family cannot afford to pay for it. A Romanian NGO has offered a scholarship to make this possible. Reuters 11/20 Mothers and daughters Tonia Giannari, 39 and her daughter Elena Giannari, 10, inside their apartment in Athens. Tonia is a stay-at-home mother who finished her education at age 18. She hopes her daughter will become a dance teacher when she grows up. Elena would also like to become a dance teacher. Reuters 12/20 Mothers and daughters Clare Barrett Butler, 37, and her daughter Lily Barrett McHugh, 11, outside their house in a small hamlet near the village of Ardara in County Donegal. Clare says she is a homemaker and a mother, and she is continuing her education with courses at college. Clare says that as a child she wanted to work on the special effects of movies or as a stuntwoman. She says that she would love her daughter Lily to follow her dreams and become a hairdresser. Reuters 13/20 Mothers and daughters Marisa del Carmen Moreno, 30, and her daughter Alicia Isabel Santa Maria, 10, outside their home in Panama City. Marisa is an architect. She finished her education at age 29. When she was a child she wanted to become a veterinarian. She hopes her daughter will grow up to become an artist. Marisa's daughter Alicia Isabel hopes to go to university and would like to become a chef or a painter. Reuters 14/20 Mothers and daughters Zhang Haijing, 41, and her daughter Zhu Nuo, 11, outside their apartment building in Lanzhou, Gansu province. Zhang Haijing finished her education at age 23 and is a mid-level manager for Xinhua Bookstore Group. When she was a child, she wanted to become a pre-school teacher. Zhang Haijing says she wants her daughter Zhu Nuo to have a stable job, but does not mind what she does so long as she is happy. Reuters 15/20 Mothers and daughters Damaris Matos Curbelo, 43, and her daughter Ana Laura Villar Matos, 14, outside their home in central Havana. Damaris finished her education at age 21 and works as a secretary in the office of the Historian of the City of Havana. Damaris says that when she was a child she wanted to become a doctor, and that she hopes her daughter will become a doctor. Her daughter Ana Laura says she would like to be a biologist. Reuters 16/20 Mothers and daughters Hala Tanmus, 40, and her daughter Maya, 10, in the living room of their home in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Hala is a secretary who finished her education at age 20. When she was younger she wanted to become a lawyer. She hopes that her daughter Maya will become an interior designer. Reuters 17/20 Mothers and daughters Alicia Chiquin, 43, and her daughter Fidelina Ja, 18, at their home in Pambach, Guatemala. Alicia has no education and has always worked the land. Her daughter Fidelina also has no education and when she grows up she says she will continue to work at home and on the land. Reuters 18/20 Mothers and daughters Denise Arthur, 52, and her daughter Linnaea Thibedeau, 13, at their home near Blackhawk, Colorado. Denise Arthur is a restoration ecologist. She has a Ph.D and finished her education at age 34. Her ambition as a child was to be an animal behaviourist. Denise hopes her daughter Linnaea will become a biologist when she grows up. Reuters 19/20 Mothers and daughters Bulgarian migrant Ayshe Kakarmustafa, 33, and her daughter Neriman, 11, at their home in Dortmund, Germany. Ayshe finished school at 14 and used to work in a shoe factory in Bulgaria. When she was a girl, she wanted to become a hairdresser. Ayshe hopes that her daughter Neriman will do whatever she wants when she grows up. Neriman would like to become a doctor Reuters 20/20 Mothers and daughters Tahsiye Ozyilmaz, 33, and her daughter Halime, 14, at their home in Zeytinpinar Village of Derik, a Kurdish town in Mardin Province. Tahsiye, who is a housewife, didn't go to school. She says would have liked to become a teacher, but she had an arranged marriage at the age of 17. She wants her daughter to finish her education, and would like her to be a doctor. Halime stopped going to school last year because it was 10 km (6 miles) from her house and the journey was too difficult. Reuters 1/20 Mothers and daughters Vered, 43, with her daughter Alma, 13, in their home in Kibbutz Hukuk near the Sea of Galilee in northern Israel. Vered got a degree in design at the age of 27 and currently runs educational art projects in local communities. Vered hopes that her daughter Alma will find a profession that brings her happiness and satisfaction. Reuters 2/20 Mothers and daughters Charlotte Stafrace, 49, and her daughter Scarlett Stafarce, 9, in the living room of their home in Zebbug, outside Valletta. Charlotte is an actress and freelance drama teacher who finished her education at 17. Charlotte hopes her daughter will be a scientist when she grows up. Scarlett says she will finish education when she's about 25 and that she would like to be a vet. Reuters 3/20 Mothers and daughters Kang Hyun-jeong, 43, and her daughter Yoo Ha-min, 11, in the living room of their apartment in Seoul. Kang Hyun-jeong works in accounts. She says that she started working in her senior year of high school, but she began a business degree in 1999 at the Korea National Open University because she wanted to study more. Reuters 4/20 Mothers and daughters Mohanna Khanal, 35, and her daughter Vipassna Khanal, 12, in the kitchen of their apartment in Kathmandu. Mohanna is a school teacher who finished her education when she was 20 years old. Mohanna says that when she was a child, she wanted to become a flight attendant. Reuters 5/20 Mothers and daughters Kylie Glass, 40, and her daughter Abby Glass, 12, in Caringbah, Sydney. Kylie finished school at age 17 and now has a job training childcarers. She says that when she was growing up, she wanted to work with children. Kylie says she just wants her daughter to be healthy and happy. Abby says that she enjoys anything to do with science so might want to be a forensic policewoman or else do something completely different like become a hairdresser. Reuters 6/20 Mothers and daughters Adetola Ibitoye, 39, sits with her daughter Iteoluwa Ibitoye, 9, in their home in Omole district, Lagos. When Adetola was growing up, she wanted to run a fashion business. Now she is a clothes designer. Adetola says she wants her daughter to be the best at whatever she sets her mind to be. Her daughter Iteoluwa says she wants to grow up to be a university teacher. Reuters 7/20 Mothers and daughters Rima Bader, 44, with her daughter Reina, 13, inside their apartment in Beirut. Rima is an interior designer but she says that when she was growing up she wanted to be an engineer. Rima wants her daughter to work in whatever profession she chooses, but she says she would love to see her in the field of engineering. Reina says she will finish education when she is around 21 years old. Reuters 8/20 Mothers and daughters Lucy Oyela, 42, with her daughter Abber Lillian, 14, at their home in Onang near Gulu town in northern Uganda. Lucy is a farmer who finished her education at age 18. She said that when she was a child, she wanted to become a teacher when she grew up. Lucy says that she really wants for her daughter to become a nurse. Reuters 9/20 Mothers and daughters Raimunda Eliandra Alves, 45, with her daughter Ana Paula Leonardo Justino, 10, at their home at the Pavao-Pavaozinho slum in Rio de Janeiro. Raimunda is a supermarket cashier who finished her education at age 19. When she was a child, she wanted to become a math teacher when she grew up. She hopes that her daughter Ana Paula will become a veterinarian. Reuters 10/20 Mothers and daughters Niculina Fieraru, 39, with her daughter Flori Gabriela Dumitrache, 13, in their room in Gura Sutii village, Romania. Niculina Fieraru is unemployed and has two children. She hopes that her daughter Flori Gabriela will become a seamstress. Flori Gabriela wants to become a pop singer and she hopes to go to high school in a town 23 km (14 miles) away, but her family cannot afford to pay for it. A Romanian NGO has offered a scholarship to make this possible. Reuters 11/20 Mothers and daughters Tonia Giannari, 39 and her daughter Elena Giannari, 10, inside their apartment in Athens. Tonia is a stay-at-home mother who finished her education at age 18. She hopes her daughter will become a dance teacher when she grows up. Elena would also like to become a dance teacher. Reuters 12/20 Mothers and daughters Clare Barrett Butler, 37, and her daughter Lily Barrett McHugh, 11, outside their house in a small hamlet near the village of Ardara in County Donegal. Clare says she is a homemaker and a mother, and she is continuing her education with courses at college. Clare says that as a child she wanted to work on the special effects of movies or as a stuntwoman. She says that she would love her daughter Lily to follow her dreams and become a hairdresser. Reuters 13/20 Mothers and daughters Marisa del Carmen Moreno, 30, and her daughter Alicia Isabel Santa Maria, 10, outside their home in Panama City. Marisa is an architect. She finished her education at age 29. When she was a child she wanted to become a veterinarian. She hopes her daughter will grow up to become an artist. Marisa's daughter Alicia Isabel hopes to go to university and would like to become a chef or a painter. Reuters 14/20 Mothers and daughters Zhang Haijing, 41, and her daughter Zhu Nuo, 11, outside their apartment building in Lanzhou, Gansu province. Zhang Haijing finished her education at age 23 and is a mid-level manager for Xinhua Bookstore Group. When she was a child, she wanted to become a pre-school teacher. Zhang Haijing says she wants her daughter Zhu Nuo to have a stable job, but does not mind what she does so long as she is happy. Reuters 15/20 Mothers and daughters Damaris Matos Curbelo, 43, and her daughter Ana Laura Villar Matos, 14, outside their home in central Havana. Damaris finished her education at age 21 and works as a secretary in the office of the Historian of the City of Havana. Damaris says that when she was a child she wanted to become a doctor, and that she hopes her daughter will become a doctor. Her daughter Ana Laura says she would like to be a biologist. Reuters 16/20 Mothers and daughters Hala Tanmus, 40, and her daughter Maya, 10, in the living room of their home in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Hala is a secretary who finished her education at age 20. When she was younger she wanted to become a lawyer. She hopes that her daughter Maya will become an interior designer. Reuters 17/20 Mothers and daughters Alicia Chiquin, 43, and her daughter Fidelina Ja, 18, at their home in Pambach, Guatemala. Alicia has no education and has always worked the land. Her daughter Fidelina also has no education and when she grows up she says she will continue to work at home and on the land. Reuters 18/20 Mothers and daughters Denise Arthur, 52, and her daughter Linnaea Thibedeau, 13, at their home near Blackhawk, Colorado. Denise Arthur is a restoration ecologist. She has a Ph.D and finished her education at age 34. Her ambition as a child was to be an animal behaviourist. Denise hopes her daughter Linnaea will become a biologist when she grows up. Reuters 19/20 Mothers and daughters Bulgarian migrant Ayshe Kakarmustafa, 33, and her daughter Neriman, 11, at their home in Dortmund, Germany. Ayshe finished school at 14 and used to work in a shoe factory in Bulgaria. When she was a girl, she wanted to become a hairdresser. Ayshe hopes that her daughter Neriman will do whatever she wants when she grows up. Neriman would like to become a doctor Reuters 20/20 Mothers and daughters Tahsiye Ozyilmaz, 33, and her daughter Halime, 14, at their home in Zeytinpinar Village of Derik, a Kurdish town in Mardin Province. Tahsiye, who is a housewife, didn't go to school. She says would have liked to become a teacher, but she had an arranged marriage at the age of 17. She wants her daughter to finish her education, and would like her to be a doctor. Halime stopped going to school last year because it was 10 km (6 miles) from her house and the journey was too difficult. Reuters

To make the link between cultural stimuli and brain difference, Professor Rippon cited a study which suggested the brains of London black cab drivers change physically when they learn the Knowledge – an encyclopaedic mental map of London’s streets.

In the same way a muscle gets larger when it is used, women's brains are culturally trained to be ‘wired’ for multi-tasking, she explained.

“What often isn’t picked up on is how plastic and permeable the brain is. It is changing throughout our lifetime

“The world is full of stereotypical attitudes and unconscious bias. It is full of the drip, drip, drip of the gendered environment.”

Professor Rippon believes that the cultural differences are learned from childhood, when boys and girls are given different toys.

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“I think gender differences in toys is a bad thing. A lot of people say it is trivial. They say girls like to be princesses. But these things are pervasive in the developing brain and stifle potential.

“Often boys’ toys are much more training based whereas girl’s toys are more nurturing. It’s sending out an early message about what is expected in a child’s future.”

Her speech comes after Toys R Us agreed to drop gender based labelling from its products after pressure from Let Toys Be Toys, a consumer group which represents thousands of shoppers who want gender-neutral toy marketing.