In all the discussions in the media about Labour's new shadow cabinet, I've heard a lot of comments describing the women as bright, as in "she's a very bright woman" or "she is very bright and able". It is obviously supposed to be complimentary and to say that the speaker believes the woman is competent but I can't remember ever hearing a grown man being described as "bright". Usually a man would be described as clever.
So, I was wondering if you think this is because cleverness in a woman is too threatening (so the softer " bright" gets used instead) or if women's intelligence simply isn't seen as equal to a man's.