In any setting, woman are entitled to the same opportunities as men. Although women and discrimination is a topic that has painted our history, nationwide laws are now very explicit about the unlawfulness of discrimination against women. In fact, individuals who discriminate against women, especially employers, may be subject to penalty or other legal ramifications. Legislation that defines sex-based discrimination exists on both a nationwide and state level, as well as in the laws of activities where women are commonly discriminated against, such as housing and education.

Generally speaking, discrimination against women includes any practice that uses a woman's gender as a basis for making a decision. Technically, this discrimination does not necessarily need to be of a negative persuasion, but it usually is. For example, a woman being offered a promotion because of sex may still constitute discrimination, even though the result could be positive. In places like the workforce, however, discrimination can be a significant deterrent to women, as women can sometimes lose jobs or be offered lower salaries simply because of their sex.