Carnage Matey
No one would suggest that you are a male "gender model" as you put it but business is business. Wealth creation which benefits all demands that businesses are run in the most efficient and cost effective way - especially with companies up against international problems in an internationally competitive arena. Does that company go down, does it cease to hire as many - or even just a few - female pilots or does it simply penalise all the others by lower staffing costs - i.e. reducing or not improving pay levels?
Carnage - it is not a perfect world and "carrying "relatively unproductive staff is a luxury no company can afford. If you believe that BA can then you are living in "cloud cuckoo" land. I would suggest that BA seriously appraises its female recruitment policy such that when there is an adequate supply of pilots female joiners are kept to an absolute minmum. BALPA would be foolish if it did not realise that this case they have taken up could well prejudice the living of every other member for the forseeable future.