Gender inequality was a problem long before the 1840s, when feminists finally brought the problem to light. Most ancient cultures were societies based on gender inequality, oriented toward male dominance. In fact, most societies are still overwhelmingly patriarchal. Patriarchy is the root cause of sex and gender discrimination, and has been for a very long time. The words “sex” and “gender” are often confused in regular, everyday conversations, even though 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 construct that refers to masculine or feminine roles in society (Nordqvist). For example, in advertisements, we see women doing all the cooking and cleaning, while men work and play sports. The term “gender inequality” in this case is confusing because it refers to the inequality of both biological differences and social role differences. Gender inequality has always been linked to patriarchal societies. Since the emergence of the first city-states, men have been the dominant sex in different cultures. Even in the early 20th century, gender inequality was a large 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 had her place in the home as a wife and mother, and a man had his place in the public sphere. Patriarchy is an example of a stratified society, one 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 (preconception...... middle of article...... rbara, & Elizabeth Shanklin, The Answer is Matriarchy, in Trebilcot, Joyce, ed., Mothering: Essays in Feminist Theory (New Jersey: Rowman & Allenheld, 1983). Web. November 26, 2013. Nordqvist, Christian. “What is the difference between sex and gender” Medical News Today, August 5, 2011. Web November 22, 2013. and Michael T. Schmitt “Things are getting better.” is not always better: taking into account women's progress affects perceptions of and reactions to contemporary gender inequality. » Fundamental and Applied Social Psychology 33.1 (2011): 24-36. Web. “Women's Rights Movement in the United States: Timeline of Events (1848-1920) | Infoplease.com” © 2000–2013 Pearson Education, publishing as Infoplease. November 23. 2013.