Women in the Workplace Around the world, patriarchy controls and dictates how society works. Every day, stories are told of women in third world countries who have fallen victim to patriarchy. These women seem distant from people living in the first world, leading many to think that patriarchy is not present in more advanced cultures. However, they couldn't be more wrong. It encompasses almost every aspect of Western life. Even in a developed country like the UK, misogyny and gender inequality still exist in the workplace. Take a moment to think about why people have jobs; the salary. Even in this basic aspect of work, men and women are far from equal. A study by the Office for National Statistics shows that gross weekly earnings for full-time female workers are £458.8; and the same statistic for men is 556.0 pounds (“Statistical Bulletin: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings”). With a difference of £100 a week, the pay of men and women is not equal. This difference in salaries can be shocking. You might think that pay equality would be present in an advanced nation like the UK. In reality, the progress of a country cannot keep the epidemic of patriarchy away. Women are paid drastically less than men, demonstrating that gender inequality is still widespread in the workplace. Not only is the gender pay gap large; it is also increasing. Another study by the Office for National Statistics shows that in 2013 the gender pay gap was 15.7%, up from 14.8% the previous year (“Labour Market Profile Great Britain”). This is not surprising. Now that women have taken a stand and feminist ideas have spread, there is sure to be a backlash. People are afraid to… middle of paper… starting to pay attention to equality data could help them find ways to make their company more unbiased and egalitarian. This would be a simple step for employers to take; yet they don't take it. To promote gender equality and equity, we must have equal representation at work. However, women are still not sufficiently represented in the workplace. Even though the UK is extremely advanced, its workplaces and employment arenas are still unequal and biased in favor of men. Pay, discrimination and representation are all drivers of inequality that women often experience in the workplace. Achieving complete equality in the workplace would be a huge step towards gender equality outside of work too. Once women are fully respected at work, that respect will carry over to all other aspects of society; finally allowing women and men to finally be equal.