Potential discrimination?

[bluestrawhat]

Here's the situation. Myself and another colleague went to see our bosses separately (me, months ago and her recently) about the possibility of creating a particular post, badly needed at our workplace. Both of us were told that there was no money for such a post. We have just found out that another colleague has been offered this post without it being advertised. Is there any point complaining? To whom? Could this be seen as discrimination? Another factor is that the colleague offered the job is male and we are both female and that the colleague was offered the job to keep him as he was also offered a job in a different company. Grateful for any advice. Thanks.

[flowery]

Do you have any reason to think the fact the colleague is male was relevant to the decision then?

Is there a policy/usual practice of advertising vacancies internally?