I don't have the answers yet, but I have learned enough to be dangerous, and ask better questions..

I work in a small software firm, with about 26 employees. 4 are female. Those stats are not that unusual in this business. But here's the thing: one of the women I work with is a bit like me. She reports to an idiot of a boss, and he's the COO. He's too green for his job, and he is a terrible manager. She is outspoken, sometimes cutting and harsh in her dialogue, and because he doesn't like being told his ideas lack merit, the COO withdraws from her.

She's also the only woman on her team, as am I. The difference between us is that I am currently the engineering manager, and report to the CEO, so our power levels in the company are quite different.

I see the COO take different guys on his team for 'coffee walks'. This is something he does when he wants to have confidential meetings, discuss business plans with them, etc. They head to Starbucks. She is never invited on a 'coffee walk'.

Last Friday, he and all the guys on his team all played basketball at lunch. The female wasn't invited, nor could she realistically join in. Over time, I am watching as she is getting shuffled to the outside in her group, losing her job duties to newer guys coming in who don't know what they are doing, until she is now hopelessly bored, and frustrated.

In my mind, this is clearly sexual discrimination. By virtue of her being an outspoken female, she is being quietly maneuvered to the outside of the team, where she will be made ineffective. The COO is a very weak manager, and in his weakness, surrounds himself with yes men just like him. This is actually a typical move of weak managers - they can't really tolerate other viewpoints, so they hire and advance men just like themselves. Therefore, even though it might not be overtly discriminatory on a sexual basis, the end result is different, and disparate, treatment of the female in comparison the men on the team. It is effectively sexual discrimination, whether the overt intention  is consciously present or not.

What do you think?