14. Since 1983, over 1.8 million women had entered the labour force; 18 per cent more women were working full-time and 23 per cent more were working part-time. One in four self-employed persons were women, as compared with fewer than one in five 10 years earlier. 15. Women were also acquiring better educational and vocational qualifications and entering areas traditionally dominated by men. Half the students in medicine, dentistry and other health services were now women. Since 1980, the number of women in accounting and also in town planning had doubled; in surveying it had quadrupled and in banking and insurance it had increased by one third. Female unemployment remained lower than male unemployment and had fallen steadily since August 1986. In April 1989, women's average hourly pay (excluding overtime) had reached its highest level ever in relation to men's - 76 per cent. 16. Women had still not achieved complete equality in employment, however. There were still far too few women in top jobs, but changes in the labour market, particularly a decline in the пгшЬег of 16- to 19-year-olds entering that market (a decline projected at 1 million between 1983 and 1993) were expected to open up lasting new opportunities for women. By the end of the century, women were expected to account for 90 per cent of the total increase in the size of the work force. 17. The Government continued to encourage the provision of training to help women who wished to return to work, to enter areas traditionally dominated by men or to overcome past inequalities. It had just launched a major campaign in conjunction with the British Broadcasting Corporation and local radio stations to publicize training assistance for women returning to the work place. The fully funded Training Agency had many programmes of special interest to women, including some 
**Analysis**
The text discusses the progress and prospects of women in the labor force, their education, and training opportunities. It highlights the increasing participation of women in traditionally male-dominated fields, their growing representation in top jobs, and the efforts of the government to support their employment and training. The text also touches on the issue of gender pay gap, but it is not the primary focus.

**Category**
Employment, Education