Gender, ethnicity, age and inequality

Gender

• Women earn less than men on average (the gender pay gap), partly because of part-time work, caring responsibilities and discrimination.
• The glass ceiling is an invisible barrier stopping women reaching top jobs.
• Laws such as the Equal Pay Act (1970) and the Equality Act (2010) aim to reduce discrimination.

Ethnicity

• Some ethnic minority groups face higher unemployment, lower pay and discrimination in jobs and housing.
• Explanations include racism and discrimination, and structural factors such as where people live and access to education.

Age and disability

• Ageism is discrimination based on age, such as older people being overlooked for jobs or young people paid less.
• Disabled people are more likely to be in poverty and unemployed, partly because of barriers in workplaces and society.
• The social model of disability says people are disabled by barriers in society, not by their impairments.

Intersectionality

• These inequalities overlap: for example, an older, disabled woman from an ethnic minority may face several kinds of disadvantage at once.

Key terms

Gender pay gap

The difference between men's and women's average pay.

Glass ceiling

An invisible barrier stopping women reaching top jobs.

Ageism

Discrimination based on age.

Discrimination

Treating people unfairly because of a characteristic.

Equality Act 2010

UK law protecting people from discrimination.

Social model of disability

The idea that society's barriers disable people.