gender roles policies

• Employment Protection Act 1975 

  • first introduced maternity leave
  • however, for first 18 years only about half of working women were eligible for it because of long qualifying period of employment
  • 1993 - amended so all pregnant women get 14 weeks minimum
• Paid paternity leave


  From 2003, men were able to get two weeks of paid parental leave.
• shared parental leave 2015

  • coalition government
  • parents will be given the right to share the care of their child in the first year after birth.
  • Women in employment will retain their right to 52 weeks of maternity leave.
  • Only mothers will be allowed to take leave in the first two weeks’ leave after birth.
  • But after that parents can divide up the rest of the maternity leave.
  • both partners can have up to 13 weeks off in the first 5 years of their child's life
• impacts of policy on gender roles

  • maternity and paternity leave - more males
  • increased divorce and negotiated families (beck)
  • availability of childcare
  • increased career opportunities
• working tax credits

  • helps to pay for after-school and breakfast clubs
  • removes expectation of women to stop working
• sure start

  • new labour
  • provided dad and baby clubs to help men bond more with their child
• equal pay act 1970

  • gender roles becoming more equal
• sex discrimination act 1975

  •  Sex discrimination against women & men,
  • Discrimination against married persons in employment field, Discrimination by way of victimisation,
  • Discrimination against applicants and employees. 
  • allowed men and women to be recognised as equals
  • increased career opportunities for women
• equality act 2010

  • states people cannot be discriminated against on grounds of family, pregnancy or gender
  • allows women to have higher career aspirations