This is partially to inform but also vent at how rigged modern workplaces are against young men. In my (33M) final year working in the university system I realised how far we have tipped the scales towards favouring women. Part of the reason I quit was I came across information regarding promotion statistics for lecturer, senior lecturer and associate professors in my faculty of science and engineering— men had a 30% chance of promotion within a given cycle while women had 100%. That's right. 100%.
In the past, the figure hovered over 50% for both men and women. This bias (along with other reasons) resulted in a mini exodus in the faculty of early to mid-career male academics into industry. But after speaking with young guys in industry working for larger companies (we are looking at those ASX 200 companies with strong emphasis on ESG points), these discriminatory policies are almost universally adopted to get women into future leadership positions at the expense of men. I don't blame the women for taking advantage of such a rigged system, how could you? But, this young male demoralization will lead to some severe societal consequences.
Honestly, if the game is so rigged, why play it? I don't see these practices disappearing or even lessening in the near future so I'm working for a small company now. But, I aim on founding my own sole-tradership to avoid this whole gender political circus.
So, if your son is entering the workforce in the next 10 years what would you tell them?
Play the game and claim female status?
Recommend they just put up with the discriminatory practices?
Work for smaller companies?
===== Edit ====
Let's clarify a few things because it appears that a trend of name calling and preconceived notions have set root. Typical OzBargain groupthink. I'll clarify the main topics here:
You are making excuses about your own ability, you are terrible at your job.
You can believe I'm incompetent if you want, I won't lose sleep over this.
Look at the official statistics
I've seen the internal statistics at my university. Yes what I'm presenting anecdotal, but that hard ceiling that all young men would encounter at that institution exists whether you shove a booklet in my face or not.
You are an Incel, you are whining like a woman, you are not a man, you are a misogynist, you're an Andrew Tate fan, you are a "gardener" (do you think gardeners are stupid?), you are a liar etc…
Given the reaction here, most people either don't care that I uncovered obvious institutional discrimination or have resorted to name calling. Even if I were an incel or a misogynist or god forbid, an Andrew Tate fan, that is irrelevant. I'm looking out for young guys who have are now on the end of a long line of affirmative actions. Looking out for my son— your sons… It's this societal response which is why so many young men out there are just giving up. Going NEET, going 'incel', going MGTOW, MRA whatever the latest trend is— these movements are destroying men here in this country.
You hate women.
I don't know how this became a preconceived notion— to stand up for young men, instantly means you hate women. Sure.
You don't know how statistics work, was there only one woman.
I should have been clearer. There was a sample size of around 40 women and about 60 men.
I wouldn’t worry about your hindsight, it’s seems your decision not to speak was probably the wise one. Why be that person? You might make some peer and lower level comrades, but it wouldn’t be well received by leadership and therefore put you at a disadvantage. I suspect comments like this in his own workplace have been detrimental to OPs career, moreso than his gender.
Remember the CEO said “exactly the same in every way” this is the important part, they have to differentiate based on something, and they have a strategy to have more women leadership role, which probably speaks more to what they are trying to do with workplace culture than the individual candidates. If there is as many women in leadership as men, the majority female workforce working under then may feel more supported and have a vision to work towards leadership themselves - this is overall positive for everyone, including men, who also still, have male leaders.