Introduction
The participation of women in a country’s economy is crucial for growth and competitiveness. However, Mexico faces significant challenges that hinder the potential of 29 million women currently excluded from the remunerated economy. These obstacles include poor job quality, limited childcare services, high levels of violence against women, educational gaps, and gender inequality in unpaid work.
Research Findings
The Center for Public Policy Research at IMCO conducted a study on women’s economic independence, revealing alarming data about Mexico’s lack of policies supporting women’s true development opportunities.
- 16.9 million women are absent from the labor market across 15 low-performing states.
- 10 million women lack economic autonomy, and only one in ten women owns her home.
- No state offers optimal conditions for women throughout their professional lives, with southern states like Oaxaca and Veracruz having the fewest opportunities, while northern states lead in development but still lag behind Latin American countries.
Educational levels also vary significantly. Over half of women in the CDMX, BCS, and Sinaloa have at least a bachelor’s degree, while in Guerrero, Oaxaca, and Chiapas, the proportion is around 30%.
Informal employment, insecurity, violence against women, and the gender wage gap create substantial barriers to women’s development.
Despite recent efforts to benefit women, Mexico’s participation rate of 46% in the economy falls short of the OECD-recommended 67%.
The absence of public policies creating a foundation for favorable labor and economic conditions for women is evident. Implementing childcare systems, parental leave for men and women, elderly care support, entrepreneurship assistance schemes, and improved credit conditions are essential foundations.
Government and Private Sector Collaboration
Collaboration between the government and private sector is vital to establish sustainable, supportive conditions for women.
If genuine political will supports women from education and professional preparation, women could contribute an estimated 6.9 billion pesos to the economy by 2035.
The benefits would be more significant in states with lower female participation rates. For instance, Chiapas’ GDP could grow by up to 21% if its female workforce doubled. On average, states could increase their GDP by 4.9% by advancing towards greater labor equality.
However, simply creating job quotas and social programs does not strengthen women’s economic resilience. The question remains whether meaningful action can be taken beyond good intentions.
Key Questions and Answers
- What are the main challenges for women’s economic participation in Mexico? Poor job quality, limited childcare services, high violence levels against women, educational gaps, and gender inequality in unpaid work.
- How does Mexico’s female labor participation compare to the OECD recommendation? Mexico’s rate is 46%, while the OECD recommends 67%.
- What policies are needed to support women’s economic development? Implementing childcare systems, parental leave for men and women, elderly care support, entrepreneurship assistance schemes, and improved credit conditions.
- What are the potential economic benefits of increasing women’s participation? States with lower female participation rates, like Chiapas, could see GDP growth of up to 21% if their female workforce doubled.
