It's entertaining every time I see white males in aviation talking about how they are getting hosed because they are white males. Women make up about 5% of airline pilots. The reasons for that don't matter. What matters is because of the small numbers, women have more visibility. You notice the females, the males are just another uniform in the crowd. Everyone has a story about "that girl who couldn't fly". They probably flew with scores of males who sucked, but didn't stand out. Male privilege is a real thing. It's a fact that these perceptions and biases force female pilots to work that much harder, because no one wants to be labeled "that girl". Male pilots can be mediocre all day, but if a female flies that way, she gets the stigma. Someone else mentioned "career off ramps". Yes, until science finds a way to make men have babies (trust me, we're pulling for you), women who want a family are going to have to take some time out of their career, even with an accommodating spouse. This is a big bart of the glass ceiling (another real thing) and the fact that women make less than men who do the same jobs, and achieve less promotions. Penalties for taking that time off.
So when you see "diversity programs", don't assume it's because airlines have some ulterior motive to hiring minorities and women. It's because corporations realize that these societal biases tilt the playing field away from minorities and women, and they want to level the playing field. Even with all of this "diversity hiring", the percentages of minorities and women in aviation has remained relatively unchanged. As for the popular theory that checking boxes is an immediate route to a dream job, the "happy monday" crowd knows better and has worked just as hard to get there as you, and in many cases, harder.