One of the bi-products of the patriarchal society of the Western world was a bias in education. Only males and, in some instances, females from the upper class, were allowed to become educated. The deficiency in women's education was a main force in perpetuating sexual inequality in all facets of life. The lack of education for women justified their confinement to work in and about the home, since they were unqualified for work in other fields. By inhibiting the education of women for centuries, the world denied itself the potential contributions of half of the population. As time progressed, however, women gradually received increased opportunities for education. When women learned more about the world they lived in they realized that their situation could be improved greatly. Once women learned that they could do better, men could not keep them down for long.