Gender inequality has been a problem since long before the 1840s, when feminists finally brought the problem to light. Most ancient cultures were societies based on gender inequality, skewed towards male dominance. Most societies, in fact, are still mostly patriarchal. Patriarchy is the root of sex and gender discrimination and has been for a long time. The words "sex" and "gender" are commonly confused with each other in normal everyday conversations when the two have very different meanings. The term "sex" refers to a person's biological and physiological characteristics, such as male or female; “Gender” is a social construction that refers to male or female roles in society (Nordqvist). For example, in commercials you see women doing the cooking and cleaning, while men work and play sports. The term “gender inequality” in this case creates confusion because it indicates the inequality of both biological differences and social role differences. Gender inequality has always been linked to patriarchal societies. Ever since the first city-states emerged, males have been the dominant sex in different cultures. Even towards the beginning of the 20th century, gender inequality was a major part of the modern world. A common feature of a patriarchal culture is the oppression of women, and the common belief was that a woman belonged to the home as a wife and mother, and a man belonged to the public sphere. Patriarchy is an example of a stratified society, a society that has significant differences in the distribution of goods, services, rights and power. It is based on gender stratification (the unequal distribution of wealth, privilege and power between the sexes) and gender stereotypes (preconceived...... middle of paper ...... rbara, & Elizabeth Shanklin, The Answer is Matriarchy, in Trebilcot, Joyce, ed., Mothering: Essays in Feminist Theory (New Jersey: Rowman & Allenheld, 1983. Nkoitoi, Simon "The Life of a Masai Np Woman, 2005 Web. 26 November 2013. Nordqvist, Christian). "What's the Difference Between Sex and Gender?" MediLexicon, Intl., August 5, 2011. Web. November 22, 2013. and Michael T. Schmitt women influences perceptions of and reactions to contemporary gender inequality." Basic and Applied Social Psychology 33.1 (2011): 24-36 Premier. Web. November 22, 2013. "Women's Rights Movement in the United States: Chronology of Events (1848-1920) |. Infoplease. 23 November. 2013.