 Unfortunately, in much of the world today discrimination is far from overt, but no less effective for its increased subtlety. In some ways progress toward equality has been substantial in many parts of the world. But in other respects advances have been slow, even in progressive nations. Enshrining equality in law is a far different matter from implementing it in practice. Women have been active participants in the public sphere in large numbers in many societies for thirty years or more. Yet the great majority of women remain clustered in the bottom or middle ranks in otherwise male dominated professions, or segregated into traditionally female fields. Politics remain strongly male dominated. And the top echelons of business are still a male preserve: the so-called glass ceiling (Kellerman &amp; Rhode 2007; Fineman &amp; Dougherty 2005; Estrich 2001). Despite increased educational, political and employment opportunities for women, the feminization of poverty (Pearce 1978) continues to increase while equality of power remains elusive. Changes in divorce law and the law of alimony and child support have been factors in poverty’s feminization (Smock, Manning &amp; Gupta 1999), raising questions for feminist theory about whether equality requires re-institution of protectionist laws. In employment, women consistently earn less for comparable work in the same field, and female dominated occupations are consistently paid less than male dominated ones, even when the male occupations require less education and involve less responsibility (Kellerman &amp; Rhode 2007; Allen 2005; Fineman &amp; Dougherty 2005; Roberts 2002; Estrich 2001; Williams 2001; Rhode 1997). For feminist legal scholars, the overarching question is what roles the law should play in response.