I don't disbelieve it.. nor the long standing social traditions going back to tribal times. Women were traditionally the knowledge emparters, the story-tellers, the nurturers around the camp. And the most senior in the tribe were the most revered, because they had the most knowledge, and experience, and feel for what was going on in the tribe around them. So I don't see how things have changed, women love a good gossip, most willl it admit it themselves, and they have no shame in it. Keeping secrets is all part of that, knowing something they think is important, and probably emparting that to others all goes back to ancient history, much of which we still don't even realise is hard-wired into our brains.