External factors

• What do feminists have a significant impact on?

  women's rights and opportunities through campaigns to win changes in the law, e.g. on equal pay, outlawing rape in marriage
• How have feminist affected girls?

  they have affected girls' self-image and aspirations, which motivates them to do well in education
• What changes have there been in women's priorities in recent years?

  girls' priorities have changed from marriage and children to career and independence
• Francis (2001)


  found that girls now had higher career aspirations, so therefore needed educational qualifications
• Beck and Beck-Gernsheim (2001)

  they found that independence is now valued more than it was in the past and a career has become part of a woman's life project
• Fuller (2011)


  found that although some girls aimed for a professional career to support themself, many working-class girls with poor job prospects still have the stereotyped aspirations for marriage and children
• How much has the divorce rate increased to since the 1970s?

  it has increased to 40%
• What percentage of lone parent families are female headed?

  over 90%
• What has changed about the rates of cohabitation and first marriages?

  there has been an increase in cohabitation and a decrease in first marriages
• What has changed about the size of families and the choices of women?

  there are smaller families and more women are choosing to stay single
• What do these changes mean for women?

  they have both more need and more opportunity to be economically independent, which motivates them to try hard in education to obtain good qualifications
• Why are there now more employment opportunities for women?

  due to an expansion of the service sector
• How has women's employment risen since the 1950s?

  it has risen from under half of married women in the 1950s to about three quarters today
• Which acts gave women more employment rights?

  the 1970 Equal Pay Act and the 1975 Sex Discrimination Act
• What has happened to the gender pay gap since 1975?

  it has almost halved
• What do these changes in the law mean for girls?

  that they have more incentive to see their future in terms of paid work, which motivates them to gain good qualifications