I've noticed that a lot of women are confused by maps. It is a scientific fact that women on average have more trouble with navigation than men do, which probably relates to the gender roles of our prehistoric ancestors. I'm not sure if female map reading is any worse than it used to me.
There are exceptions...like my wife. She's an excellent map reader. She learned to read maps from her father when she was a little girl.
She's the navigator. And it works out perfectly. She hates to drive, and I get carsick if I have to read anything in a moving vehicle.
Yes, women generally do not have the innate sense of direction men do. When women give directions it is left-right, not north-south and tend to get lost more than men. Must be from out Neanderthal days when we were hunter/gatherers.
Ironically, when I fly I still use the old fashioned sectional aeronautical charts. Don’t even know how to use the “new” electronics like Ipads and cell phones.
Don’t like battery powered rifle scopes either.