DDAO, thank you for illustrating so eloquently what any major aviation company should be looking for when they recruit.
Over several decades in aviation, I have been involved with recruitment, induction, training and checking of candidates for a major airline and you sound like you have developed into the type of pilot that every airline would be very happy to have in their fold so congratulations on your achievement.
The suggestion that you may have achieved based on gender is offensive to me as a recruiter and fellow pilot.
I firmly believe the only thing quotas achieve is awarding a job to someone less qualified.
For some people though, there will always be an excuse for not getting a job.
So much more convenient to say, I wasn't (choose an adjective) enough.
Be mature enough to admit (just like DDAO did), I wasn't good enough.
And then you can go about improving your self.
And while we are on it, no-one wants to sit next to an a,hole for ANY length of time. If you show yourself to be an a,hole, I guarantee you will not be getting the job.