sexism in hiring

[r_type]

Recently I applied for a job at a local bar/lounge to be opening up soon in my area. When I visited the location for an interview, I noticed that there was a female friend of mine who was applying for the same job. Upon closing the interview, the manager replied that I should receive a call back within the next two weeks and that if I had not, to contact him. Exactly two weeks had passed, when I contacted the manager. I explained to him the situation, that I was calling to check the status of my possible employment. He stated that the company was still in process of opening, and at that soon they would be contacting people who they wished to hire. About a week and a half later while attending a social gathering, I ran into a friend who is an acquaintance of the women friend of mine who was also applying for the job. She asked how my job hunting was coming along, and so I talked to her about the situation. When she found out about it, she told me that my women friend who had applied had all ready received a call back. She also commented on the fact that the business was laying out plans to hire an all-female bar and wait staff. This struck me as a bit odd, because I knew that my qualifications for employment were equal if not greater. I decided to call the manager. When I questioned him he stated that they “were totally hired”, and fully staffed.

It is apparent that women have an advantage in this job field, genuinely because of the fact that they are women. Is implementing such hiring standards ethical on a business level? From my understanding, the legal ramifications of owning and running a business call that employers must not discriminate based on religion, race, ethnicity, or sex. I sometimes wonder how often this practice takes place and if it is in fact unethical.