Social policies are laws and legislations set out by the government in order to eradicate social problems in society. There are many social policies that have apparently enabled the progress of both women and children and enabled equality. Such as the Divorce Reform Act 1969 and The Child Protection Act; ensuring the safeguarding of children and protection from abuse. Though some theorists may argue that social policies have not always had a positive effect on these groups.

The Children Act first devised in 1989 and later re worked in 2004 protects children from work, this legislation states that the legal age in which children can participate in paid work is 16. This was to protect children from slave labour and exploitation within the workforce. The March of Progress perspective would argue that this has made childhood better. However Child Liberationists would argue that this has had a negative effect on children, making them dependent on adults for money, which makes them vulnerable to abuse from adults. The Child Liberationist view argues that children should be able to work and make money from themselves, separating them from adult control and liberate themselves away from those who are older. This is supported by Diane Gittens, who coined the term ‘Age Patriarchy’ meaning that adults just because they are older see themselves as more important than children and this needs to stop in order to children to be equal in society.
The Equal Pay and Equality Act 2010 entitle a woman doing equal work with a man in the same employment to equality in pay and other terms and conditions. The Act implies a sex equality clause automatically into her contract of employment, ensuring that her contractual terms are no less favorable than his. This Act was supposedly supposed to close the pay gap between the genders and allow for equality. The gender pay gap is the