Introduction
The demand for digital job opportunities continues to rise, yet women remain underrepresented in these roles. However, the absence of women not only hinders their improved working conditions but also negatively impacts the economy of the TIC sector. The Instituto Mexicano para la Competitividad (Imco) estimates that integrating 358,863 women into TIC jobs by 2030 could generate a profit of up to 53,523 million pesos for the sector.
The Imco Study: Benefits of Including More Women in TIC
During the presentation of the study titled “Beneficios de sumar a más mujeres en las TIC” (Benefits of Including More Women in TIC), Fernanda García, Director of Sociedad at Imco, highlighted that incorporating more women through public policies and coordinated actions in these areas would bring significant benefits, both economically and socially, especially in reducing the gender gap.
Economic Impact
The Imco study projects three economic scenarios. The first scenario involves adding 28,313 women to TIC jobs by 2030. This growth would generate an additional 4,223 million pesos for the sector compared to maintaining the current trend, representing a 2% increase in wages.
The second scenario includes incorporating 128,874 women by 2030, which would boost the sector’s wages by 9% compared to a scenario without increased female participation. This equates to 19,221 million pesos by the end of the decade.
Between 2012 and 2023, the male population in TIC jobs grew at an average annual rate of 3.1%, while female participation increased by only 0.5%. If this growth trend continues, there would be an estimated 185,657 more men and 4,622 more women in TIC jobs by 2030. The sector’s wages would grow from 147,96 million pesos in 2023 to 204,543 million pesos in 2030, a 39% increase.
Benefits for Women in TIC Jobs
According to the Imco analysis, women employed in TIC jobs enjoy better working conditions compared to the average female workforce in Mexico. They access jobs with labor benefits, higher incomes, and greater formalization rates.
In Mexico, while 44% of women have formal employment, this figure rises to 71% for those in TIC jobs. Formal employment provides stable income sources, legal certainty, retirement savings accounts, vacation time, and access to childcare.
TIC jobs also increase women’s access to health services, with 65% of women in TIC roles accessing healthcare and other benefits compared to 38% of women in other economic sectors.
The average income for women in TIC jobs is 56% higher than the average income of the Mexican labor market, with a monthly average salary of 13,800 pesos compared to the overall average of 8,834 pesos.
However, despite higher formalization rates for women in TIC jobs, they still face a more significant gender income gap than the general female population. While women earn 14% less than men on average, TIC women earn 19% less than their male counterparts in this area.
Company Efforts for Gender Diversity in TIC
Some companies integrating female talent in TIC base their diversity and inclusion efforts on studies showing that diverse teams are more profitable. Others do so out of internal conviction, driven by executive vision or HR departments.
Most companies agree that having active female roles in teams leads to better performance, increased creativity, more effective leadership, and innovative idea generation. However, they note the difficulty of quantifying these benefits systematically.
Proposals for Increased Female Participation in TIC
- Institutionalize digital microcredentials or online course badges to encourage women’s participation in TIC.
- Promote and incentivize the choice of STEM careers, including TIC, among students from basic education.
- Provide training to young women in key technological skills such as automation, data analysis, cybersecurity, and intelligent systems.
- Measure and prioritize English language proficiency in the curriculum.
- Develop technical capabilities among educational authorities to collect and analyze TIC data from a gender perspective.
- Institutionalize inclusion policies to promote greater female participation in the workforce.
“With all this, we can accelerate the inclusion of women in TIC, and Imco proposes these actions to support women,” said Fernanda García.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the main idea of the content? The main idea is that increasing women’s participation in the TIC sector could generate significant economic benefits, with estimates suggesting up to 53,523 million pesos in profits by 2030.
- Who is Fernanda García, and why is she relevant? Fernanda García is the Director of Sociedad at the Instituto Mexicano para la Competitividad (Imco). She presented the study “Beneficios de sumar a más mujeres en las TIC” (Benefits of Including More Women in TIC), highlighting the importance of women’s participation in the TIC sector.
- What are the proposed actions to increase female participation in TIC? Proposed actions include institutionalizing digital microcredentials, promoting STEM careers, providing technological training to young women, prioritizing English language proficiency, developing technical capabilities for gender-based TIC data analysis, and institutionalizing inclusion policies.
