Except they’re not a minority group in the U.S.
Not saying women haven’t been discriminated against, just saying the math doesn’t work out.
Sorry. The government used to classify women the same as (other) minorities for things like preferential treatment in contract awards.
Now they are classified officially as a
disadvantaged group. In the world of government programs, it's a distinction without a difference.
If you Google "minority owned businesses," the first result is the gov't Small Business Association (SBA). Women, veterans, Native-Americans, LGBT, Rural, and Ethnic "Minorities" are all listed on the same page, because they all get special preference for certain government programs.
I had a female Lieutenant working for me in Virginia at Langley AFB. Her husband owned an office supply business, but they registered it under her name. They were able to get government procurement contracts as a "woman-owned small business" which they would not get otherwise.
Women are in a protected class and listed specifically in laws that deal with things like employment, housing, etc, etc. in that it's illegal to discriminate based on
sex, race, and so on. It's a thing now to try and qualify for as many protected classes as possible to have that shield against any actions that might be even remotely construed as discrimination.