I've noticed that a lot of people (and men in particular) who have law enforcement or military backgrounds do this. I'm not sure whether that's because men in

I've noticed that a lot of people (and men in particular) who have law enforcement or military backgrounds do this. I'm not sure whether that's because men in those jobs tend to view women as inferior, or whether it might have to do with the fact that it's viewed as a catch-all that applies to both girls and women, so might be useful if you don't know the person's exact age, as when you're looking for a suspect who might be either a teenager or a young woman. But that wouldn't explain why that sort of catch-all usage is not as widespread in other professions.