It will take a long time to build one's self-esteem and
confidence especially if one has lived with that kind of
condemnation from young.
I have a girl friend who is still recovering from depression, grew
up in a family where the parents only favour boys only. Throughout
her childhood, she had been condemned by her parents and was told
she was stupid etc.... And because she had been told she was stupid
all the time, she came to think that was true too.
It would take time to change her mindset. She's a lot better now
but there's still a long way to recovery. The fortunate thing is
though, she has a very loving and supportive husband.
So, it's hard for us to fully understand why these women with low
self-esteem behave the way they do. All we can do is to be
sensitive and supportive to them and try every opportunity to
encourage them. 
