Maybe this is true in your area, but it is not true in mine. Source: I am a homebrewing woman in KC.
I am one of 10 active/paid women in our homebrew club - it is the largest in the area with 90 paid members and 600 members on social media. I have served on the Board for 3 years now, the first to years being with another woman - which made the Board 50% women.
I am a BJCP judge. I am also the highest ranking BJCP judge in the city (Master level currently). Out of the 10 National judges in the area, my former lady Board member is one of them. I am respected at every competition I go to, and am usually the ranking judge. This does not make me better than anyone, it just means I have good testing abilities and I volunteer at a lot of comps. Older BJCP men (and women) respect me the same as they would anyone else.
I have run several competitions, and in none of them have I been looked down on or treated like I was inferior or did not belong. In fact, I have mentored nearly every new competition organizer in the area. They come to me when they have questions or need advice. Yes, many men come seeking my advice. They know that my door is open to questions and concerns. I willfully help them all if I can. I am the "mentor/devil's advocate/Captain Free Shit" for a 500+ bottle competition right now - I basically answer any questions a group of 20 men might have and ask males in the commercial side of the industry for free shit and they give it to me.
Let's also talk about the AHA Forum and NHC. When I go to NHC, I get to meet up with all of my brewing friends across the country - those who I've judged with, those who I've met on the AHA Forum (which is excellent if you haven't visited), those who I've never met face to face with. I have never once been challenged on my knowledge based on gender. In fact, I've never been disrespectfully challenged on my knowledge anywhere in the homebrewing community. I have had great discussions on what each party thinks/knows and we've come out more knowledgeable for the experience, sure, but never disrespected by a man (or woman) in the homebrew community.
I have only been treated poorly by one man, a professional brewer, who quickly changed his tone after talking with me for 2 minutes. In fact, I barely even notice that nearly everyone around me is a male except when I go to the ladies room at a beer festival.
Do I listen to the Brewing Network? No. It is 4+ hours of dick jokes with 2 minutes of actual information. Who cares if women would listen to that - why would anyone listen to that for brewing information? Basic Brewing had much better content when I was into listening to podcasts, so it's not as if there are a lack of podcasts with actual content.
TL,DR: Maybe your local area is slower to adopt the thinking/attitude that my area already has, but I don't think that "women's rights" is an issue in this country as a whole.
Cheers, -Amanda B, KCBM Treasurer, BJCP Master-C0947