Girls Driving the U.S. Manga and Anime Market?

In the article "U.S. anime expert: Girls drive market," Daily Yomiuri reports that Trulee Karahashi, the new chief executive officer of the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation (SPJA), is suggesting that girls are the driving force behind the U.S.'s manga and anime market:

While an obsessed male otaku might be the stereotypical image of an anime fan, Karahashi painted a different picture. She said that Anime Expo attendance is equally divided between genders, which "mirror[s] the overall fan base."

Source: AoD