Lesson Starter
What does this
picture say
about the state
of the media
and politics in
Britain?
What will I learn?
• To describe some of the changes in society
affecting women in recent years.
• To explain the importance of women today to the
UK economy.
Success Criteria
I can…
• Describe some of the changes in
society affecting women in recent
years by taking notes and answering
questions.
• Explain the importance of women
today to the UK economy by taking
notes and answering questions.
Gender Inequalities - Women in UK Society
Today
•Women’s position in society has changed greatly in the last
30 years. Women are:
•Less likely to marry or marry later.
•Less likely to have children.
•More likely get divorced / be a lone parent.
Divorce
•The main provocation for divorce
is infidelity, with more than a
quarter (27%) saying the tipping
point in the marriage was
discovering their partner was
having an affair.
•The second most common reason
for ending a marriage was falling
out of love - cited by nearly a
quarter (22%) of those polled.
•One in six women (15.9%) and 6%
of men gave a serious incident of
abuse as the reason for a
marriage breaking down.
Women in UK Society Today
•Fewer people live in the traditional family of a married
couple with dependent children. Many people are living on
their own; around one in ten adults and around 30% of
households are made up of one person.
Women in UK Society Today
•Some women do not have children either by choice or
because they are not able to have them. Many women are
waiting until they are older to have a baby as they want to
establish careers etc. first.
•Most people have smaller families these days.
•The birth rate now averages less that two children per
mother.
•The number of marriages has fallen in recent years.
Why has the ‘family role’ of women changed so
much over time?
1. Nowadays more women are pursuing a career than in the
past so don’t need to rely on a man for money.
2. The institution of marriage is not as highly regarded as it
was years ago. Many more couples cohabit. Fewer women
choose to marry.
3. The pressures of modern society are making it harder for
couples to stay together. Divorce is more ‘acceptable’ today.
The Family Law (Scotland) Act 2006 has also made divorce
easier to secure.
4. More women/couples are choosing not to have children as
a career/lifestyle choice.
5. Most importantly, females are outperforming men at
every educational level.
Women and the Economy
•Women are becoming increasingly important
in the economy because:
•Over the past 40 years there has been a rise in
the percentage of women aged 16 to 64 in
employment and a fall in the percentage of men.
•In April to June 2013 around 67% of women aged
16 to 64 were in work, an increase from 53% in
1971. For men the percentage fell to 76% in 2013
from 92% in 1971.
•In April to June 2013, around 13.4 million women
aged 16 to 64 were in work (42% part-time) and
15.3 million men (12% part-time).
Women in UK Society Today
• For those who worked full-time there were
differences in the average hours worked per
week e.g. full-time men worked on average 44
hours per week whilst full-time women worked 40
hours per week. While there have been increases
in the number of women in work, the percentage
of them doing a part-time role has fluctuated
between 42-45% over the past 30 years.
• Women's earnings are of increased importance to
families.
• Many lone parent families are headed by women
but lone parent families are more likely to live in
poverty.
Women in UK Society Today
• The main thing to note is that despite the fact
that women have undoubtedly made progress over
the years, women are still not fully equal with
men at work.
• The fact that many women now have jobs, or even
careers has led to a considerable change in
women's attitudes.
• Nowadays, most women, especially younger
women, reject the stereotypes of a ‘woman's
place’.
• However, it is also true that many working women
still have to do most of the housework.
Revision Questions
1. Describe two changes in
society that have affected
women in recent years. Provide
statistics to support your
answer.
2. For what reasons are fewer
women getting married/getting
divorced or not having children.
3. In what ways are women
becoming more important to
the UK economy. Make two
points.
Want to know more?
• If you want to know more about this section, go
online and access the article on Gender Inequality
on Modernity Scotland.
• http://www.modernityscotland.co.uk/cfe-socialinequality/520-article-3
I can…
I can…
• Describe some of the changes in society
affecting women in recent years by taking notes
and answering questions.
• Explain the importance of women today to the
UK economy by taking notes and answering
questions.