Females persuing knowledge

Assalamualaikum Mufti
I would like to know about the pursuit of knowledge in Islam. Very often we hear Muslim men and women speak about how “we are permitted to go far and wide in the pursuit of knowledge” and so many women leave their homes to study elsewhere – even though this is not permitted.
But I would like to know if the pursuit of knowledge is with regards to Deeni knowledge only or any knowledge in general as is being propagated?