Misogyny is subtle but can lead to unlawful discrimination

Recently, when Rebecca Watson recounted an encounter with a strange man in an elevator, a little firestorm broke out. In that case, the man propositioned her after having attended the same event in their common hotel bar. Although she didn't assert feeling threatened, the event caused her to comment that it's not OK. differences on that point are what caused the dispute.

The dispute involved a famous skeptic, and his opinion that a little light flirting is nothing to be upset over. However, this seems to miss the point. Where as a man might think, "I'm just asking; she can always say no," women don't have that luxury, even in our modern society. Like it or not, women remain vulnerable in our society. They're paid less, hold fewer positions of power, and are as likely to be blamed for being sexually assaulted as their attackers. Which leads to the point: it's all about context.

A proposition puts the woman in the awkward position of having to say no. If that happened in a crowded room, or from someone known to the woman, the playing field is more level. But in an unattended elevator, the woman has to decide: is this guy a creep, or is he just a jerk. Not the choice the guy was going for no doubt.

All this lead me to think about interactions between the sexes at work. When is light flirting OK? The answer is soundly: never. In every sex discrimination case I've worked on, the woman gets the short end of the stick, and the employer has to deal with the aftermath. People fall in love, have relationships, and sometimes they work. But when It comes to the workplace, that needs to take a backseat to the common need for a safe environment.

Having policies which can encompass all this is crucial. Similarly, training employees to discern acceptable behavior from misogynistic behavior can protect both employees and the company.

I'm no prude, but what is vital is context. If two coworkers want to have a relationship, a well drafted policy should account for it. But healthy relationships almost never start with inappropriate propositions. That is where the devil lies: female employees must feel safe, which is more important than the supposed freedom to flirt. Why? Because we're not males and females, but humans trying to get along. In the workplace, getting along means being set up for success to do the best job we can.