Feminism - why is it significant?

As Heywood notes, 'feminism is defined by two basic beliefs: that women are disadvantaged because of their sex*; and that this advantage can and should be overthrown.'  (p230, 2007) I think the first point is of pressing importance and it is one any student of feminism ought to consider in detail before continuing.
(* Sex denotes biological. Gender is self-identified/constructive; but we will consider this in more detail later)

Using the websites below, answer questions 1-5:

Sheryl Wudunn's talk, 'Our Century's Greatest Injustice'

A report from the Office for National Statistics (look especially at the table), and an article from the Fawcett Society on the gender pay gap. This table only applies to the US, but is still worth a look.

The Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN).

Have a look around the Centre for women and democracy site, and this article, Women and Power, from the Fawcett Society. Here is a fact sheet to compare the UK to other countries.

There are many articles around that deal with female beauty standards. But here is an article about photoshopping, and another about the different expectations we have of men and women. Plus, look at how much the 'ideal' female body shape has changed recently. Oh, and about make-up! If you really want to get your teeth into something, this is a longer and more complicated piece, but has some useful conclusions.

Never rely on Wikipedia! But...their article on the Glass Ceiling is actually useful.

1. How much less are women paid than their male counterparts?
2. Are women at higher risk of rape and domestic violence?
3. Is there a glass ceiling for women? (Describe what the glass ceiling is)
4. What beauty ideals are women exposed to that men are not?
5. What percentage of our elected representatives are MPs? How does this compare to other countries in Europe?