Women's Employment

• • More women are now in paid employment, mainly due to legal changes like the 1970 Equal Pay Act and the 1975 Sex Discrimination Act, which both encouraged women into the workplace, so young girls see a future on paid employment.
  • Young girls also see more female role models breaking through the 'glass ceiling' which may encourage them to push harder, explaining their high grades in comparison to boys.
• What is the glass ceiling?

  Feeling as though you are unable to access high positions within a workplace or system due to an invisible barrier blocking you. In the case of women, this barrier is the patriarchy.
• Weakness: The gender pay gap still exists and is widely reported on. This may discourage girls from trying as hard in school, making them believe there is 'no point'.

  Similarly sex discrimination in the workplace still exists, for example, women still face sexual harassment in the workplace and some places avoid hiring women if they're child bearing age (to avoid having to pay maternity leave). Again this may discourage girls form trying as hard in school, as they may feel they'll just be treated unfairly in the workplace.