I'd file it under affirmative action [1], which is not illegal in most countries/states (on the contrary). Lots of commenters here simply cite single paragraphs

I'd file it under affirmative action [1], which is not illegal in most countries/states (on the contrary). Lots of commenters here simply cite single paragraphs from anti-discrimination laws but what they don't understand is that the laws often allow organizations to correct bias by giving preferential treatment to underrepresented groups. The logic behind is that the majority group (e.g. white caucasian young males) might have bias to hire peers that they identify with, hence perpetuating their majority. Quota-based hiring / candidate selection is one way to solve this problem. Different jurisdictions have different rules though, in Germany hiring practice for certain professions (e.g. professorships) is that if two candidates are equally qualified but one is a woman then she will always receive preferential treatment (which is fair IMHO). 1: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affirmative_action_in_the_United_States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Affirmative_action_in_the_Unit...