Merit is the only way to hire people.
Absolutely correct, the emphasis must be on having a level playing field with a fair and open hiring process which aims to get the best person for the job. If an employer ends up with a certain gender or race group predominating, they should have nothing to worry about if they can point to their selection procedures and show that every applicant was treated equally and fairly, and they simply employed the best ones for the job. If certain demographics are underrepresented there is probably a good reason, i.e. performance not up to scratch.
In the USA, African Americans make up 10% of the population but account for 70% of football players and 80% of basketball players yet no one is suggesting a quota to ensure that other races are more equally represented in professional sports. They got their place on the team because they were the best and can hold their heads high knowing that.
Quotas simply lower the overall standard by forcing hiring based on factors other than suitability for the job, talent goes to waste and underperformance is permitted.