Male and females dwarves are not in general treated differently. Female dwarves tend to be given a greater respect simply because of their rarity and their importance in clan government (see below). Male to female births are generally 5 to 1. Females do tend to interact less with other races, but that is due mainly to statistics, not to sexism.
Female dwarves do not have beards as many other races believe. It is just that non- dwarves do not often see females so everyone believes that all dwarves have beards. In truth TOAV SEN RUTA, your mother has a beard, is considered a rather serious insult for most dwarves. They tend to forgive this insult coming from non-dwarves on a first offence.
When matters extend beyond local government or when matters require the input of multiple clans that cannot come to agreement governmental authority generally rests with the Council of the Twelve. Although for practical reasons these matters are usually adjudicated by a Council representative called a WISDUROV.
The Warrior Cast produces the greatest military minds, warriors and engineers (it helps to knock things down if you know how to build them). They tend to be the most dwarf-like of all the dwarves and are primarily male. They grow long beards and braid them into many separate braids. A DYVWAR who is shamed, or on a quest of great significance, will shave his beard. It is impolite to ask a beardless dwarf why, so the exact reason is never easy to discover.
The Religious Cast produces priests, diplomats, teachers, and scribes. Females and males are as equally likely to be of the DYVRITAC. The males wear their beards long and generally in a single unadorned braided. The Religious Cast is the smallest in number.
The Worker Cast producers the laborers, merchants, stone masons and gem cutters, in short they do almost everything. The male members of this cast where their beards short and most often unbraided. It is not uncommon, however, for a DYVYLAC to braid their beards during a celebration or to keep it out of the way of their work.
Dwarves have neutral attitudes towards humans. The humans generally have few dealings with dwarves and so dwarves are very likely to judge members of these races on a case-by-case basis.
Between orcs and dwarves there is occasional strong cooperation (often to repel enemies), but often strong competition for prime living space. Orcs breed rapidly and sharing areas with them has never worked. Sooner or later a war will happen. Dwarves cannot understand how orcs care so little about family obligations and responsibilities. Their individiualist, submit-to-noone-unless-forced-to attitude just makes them intrinsically difficult to get along with.
Dwarves have no contact with the merfolk. They dislike the sea and boats of any sort other than flat bottom river craft. These types of craft they except as a necessary evil for trade purposes.
Dwarves do not trust elves. They will avoid contact with elves if possible, and if it is not possible they will insist on a third party to arbitrate business dealing, sort of a racial escrow law. They will not forgive insults from an elf and they will not risk their lives for an elf that has not already proven itself as honorable.
Dwarves have the best race relations with the seerdral, a race of creatures descended from squirrels (this race is widely believed to be a divine joke that got out of hand). The dwarves commonly assist the seerdral with construction and protection and in turn the seerdral give the dwarves agricultural products that cannot be produced in the underground homes of the dwarves.