Job segregation Job segregation is a feature of women's participation in the labour market. Women still tend to work in a more limited range of occupations than men. 83 per cent of women work in service industries, compared with 56 per cent of men. All girls up to the age of 16 are required to study science, technology and maths under the National Curriculum in England and Wales. And girls are outperforming boys in science subject examinations at age 16 and 18.
Women now take up around half of all further, higher education and university places.
The UK Report to the Fourth Conference on Women states 'Women's representation on local authorities and on other public bodies has increased to around one in four and one in three places respectively. Over 18 per cent of MPs in the European Parliament are women, and 25 per cent of European Commissioners. The UK Government and opposition parties are committed to working to improve the position of women as illustrated in many of the above statistics. New priorities for action are outlined in the UK report to the Fourth World Conference on Women. For further information on this and the UK national gender machinery, please contact the Gender Team in the British Council Manchester.