Institutional discrimination is defined as “the systematic subordination of a social group based on prejudice, typically by preventing them from access to rights and opportunities available to other groups” (Equality Commission for Northern Ireland). In the United States, women have been and continue to be subject to institutionalized discrimination. This can take many forms, from more subtle forms such as limited representation in government or corporate decision-making roles, to more overt forms such as wage disparities between men and women doing the same job.

For example, despite the passage of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibiting sex discrimination in employment, data shows that women are still paid less than men for comparable jobs. According to statistics gathered by Pew Research Center in 2018, women overall earn 85 cents for every dollar earned by men; when looking at full-time workers only this number rises slightly but remains low with 88 cents on the dollar. Furthermore, while progress has been made in recent years regarding female representation in management positions within large corporations, research conducted by consulting firm McKinsey & Company revealed that among S&P 500 companies only 25% had female highest ranking executives (2017). These discrepancies point towards ongoing institutional gender bias which reinforces existing power structures and disadvantages certain populations – namely those of color who often experience greater levels of inequality due to multiple intersecting inequalities.

Moreover, land ownership is another area where gender disparities remain wide – according to USAID less than 20% of landholders globally are female (2018). Lack of property rights can significantly limit a woman’s economic autonomy as well as legal protection if she faces domestic violence or abuse. Such factors illustrate how even today modern institutions actively discriminate against women through laws and policies which disproportionately benefit men while making it difficult for women across all socioeconomic backgrounds to achieve equality.