For anyone who has a hard time keeping up with current permutations of
gender theory, the* Harvard Business Review* has a useful explanation of
"What Is Second-Generation Gender Bias?" in this article side box. An
excerpt:
"Research has moved away from a focus on the deliberate exclusion of women
and toward investigating “second-generation” forms of gender bias as the
primary cause of women’s persistent underrepresentation in leadership
roles. This bias erects powerful but subtle and often invisible barriers
for women that arise from cultural assumptions and organizational
structures...
"Double binds.
"In most cultures masculinity and leadership are closely linked: The ideal
leader, like the ideal man, is decisive, assertive, and independent. In
contrast, women are expected to be nice, caretaking, and unselfish. The
mismatch between conventionally feminine qualities and the qualities
thought necessary for leadership puts female leaders in a double bind.
Numerous studies have shown that women who excel in traditionally male
domains are viewed as competent but less likable than their male
counterparts. Behaviors that suggest self-confidence or assertiveness in
men often appear arrogant or abrasive in women. Meanwhile, women in
positions of authority who enact a conventionally feminine style may be
liked but are not respected. They are deemed too emotional to make tough
decisions and too soft to be strong leaders."
https://hbr.org/2013/09/women-rising-the-unseen-barriers