I think this is pretty dead on, I see it at work all the time
Cameron: It's interesting both
Grace and Ripley are characters that are not believed by the male power structure. And I think that women feel that they're not listened to, that their outlook on a situation or their analysis of a situation is not as credible as a male perspective, whether it's in business or whether it's in a relationship.
From interview:
From ‘Aliens’ to ‘Avatar’ for Cameron, Weaver - Movies- msnbc.com
(Moderator - please don't move this to the movie or any other thread. I put it here purposefully. Note the last word in the quote is relationship. )