ABSTRACT
This chapter outlines the empirical evidence of the reality of women in business and then looks at the ruling class's response to this reality. It provides evidence to show that women and ethnic minorities are systematically being kept outside of top business partly because of historical factors limiting their participation in the paid workforce and because of their socialisation into failure, but primarily because of institutionalised sexism. The importance of good physical appearance puts pressure on women and men to look and dress appropriately, but it is a pressure experienced very unevenly by the genders. Denial that sexism is a problem encompasses that collection of attitudes that believe the lack of women in big business is not a problem but an advantage for business. Although recruitment for the top jobs in business is improving it started from a low level.
