Toward the end of the 20th century in the Western nations there was a call for equality for women. Unfortunately what started out as a call for open-mindedness and reassessment was hijacked by the feminist movement and lost in the calls for affirmative action and reverse discrimination.
The result was a highly unwieldy and punitive rules about sexual harassment, unfair dismissal, and maternity leave which made it very expensive (and potentially dangerous) to employ or promote women.
See