Why is it that despite the world's richest countries adopting wide-reaching gender equality laws men still hold the majority of leadership roles? And why do men remain overrepresented in the computer and mathematical sciences and as engineers, priests and plumbers, while most registered nurses, childcare workers and receptionists are women?

To many, it is clear that our contemporary gendered division of labour is both cause and consequence of the sex-based hierarchy of power over resources, a.k.a. the patriarchy. For others there are inherent evolutionary differences between men and women that make us better suited to particular roles in society.

Surveying social and cultural history and drawing on statistics and ideas from science, business, psychology and social justice, Cordelia Fine shows how such simple and incendiary explanations are pushing mainstream feminism in increasingly unthreatening and ineffective directions, how the gender hierarchy continues to perpetuate and enforce patriarchal norms, and what needs to be done to get back on track.

Unflinching and groundbreaking, Patriarchy Inc. provides a radical new interpretation of men and women's work and offers a new vision for gender equality.

Award-winning scientist and philosopher Cordelia Fine provides a sharp and clear-eyed analysis of how the gendered division of labour is built and why it persists.