Maybe l've been lucky, maybe l'm blind to it, but l have not noticed/been aware of any gender bias. I am female, and started ringing at
18, in a brand new band. We were a mix of Male and female learners, all members of the church youth group. As a short slight female l was generally put on lighter bells, as were the other girls in the group. I can't rember how many of us were female but l do know there was at least one other as she was my future sister in law. I believe there may have been more. Apart from putting us on lighter bells, (as was my fiancé, who was much the same size as myself) l did not feel the fellas were advantaged in any way, rather the reverse.

I was the first person in the band to ring something other than rounds and call changes, or treble to plain hunt, on a ringing outing with the local cathedral ringers, where l trebled to a touch of Grandsire triples (In a cathedral, no less!) Shortly afterwards l married, moved to an area with lousy public transport and started a family, and ringing went out of the window. I started ringing again last year after a 50 year break. I had been ringing again for almost a year when we went into lockdown, and in that time l have been encouraged and got back to my previous level, and the ringing master told me he was going to push me on, just before lockdown. I do not believe it is gender bias or that it exists in the towers l ring at, merely a matter of talent and willingness to learn. (Not necessarily in that order)

From observations l have made of other learners as l have resumed my journey there is only bias where a learner does not put in the effort, or listen to advice.