Often women are passed over for promotions in favor of less-qualified men. If your co-workers' or supervisor's sexual comments or explicit photos make work a hostile environment for you, that's harassment, too. If you are treated differently for being pregnant or prevented from getting certain benefits allowed to you by law, that's discrimination. It's essential to deal firmly and fairly with offenders and to make sure employees know what discrimination is and what to do if they experience it, say groups like 9 to 5, the Wisconsin-based national organization for working women. But often, as with Diane Brady, Ann Mohan, and Cindi Trahan, women who report discrimination are the ones who suffer.
Retaliation is common.
And frequently, employers blame the victims. Women may have recourse to the federal EEOC, state and local authorities and, ultimately, the courts. Brady fought her case for eight years before losing in court. The stress disabled her and the lawyers' fees drained her finances. But things are looking up for her, fortunately.