But the fear and paranoia is.
"It's bad enough we've got those @%#^@in' ferals here, now that...that new girl that moved into the city. She's...she's kinda weird aint she? What the...I...swore Smitty saw her in the grave yard! Is...is she plannin' something? Does she know where the skullheart is an' is scoutin' areas to see where the most dead are?"
Okay, my badly worded example aside, I feel that in real life we had people with crazy levels of paranoia killing those they suspeced of witchcraft. The issue is the persecution would come from the flimsiest of excuses. In the game, people have enough overt predjudices, but if a woman's a bit off, they might think of who knows what and try to "interject" before it's "too late".
I can see BS reasons for enforcing an old boys club in things "Archaeology? Hell no, lady! We don't wants ya ta touch a relic and get mystic-ized!"
"Advanced magic theory? Heavens no, you may tap into forces beyond your understanding!"
I don't think everyone has always known what causes a Skullgirl, even, are we sure Annie (a hunter of the very things) knows? People are just itching to be offended and paranoid, so, I feel that would produce more than a few avenues for misogyny. Just my messy thoughts