Breaking Barriers: Empowering Women to Invest

Women face a complex panorama when it comes to investing and supporting economic growth, explains Alicia Arias, Director of Advisor Acquisition, Grupo Bursátil Mexicano (GBM). While there are numerous benefits in incorporating women into the Mexican economy, the country faces several cultural, educational and operational changes to increase their participation. 

Investing is becoming easier and can bring significant long-term benefits, but there is still hesitation to do so, especially among women. According to Arias, 58% of women surveyed by BlackRock think they do not have enough money to start investing but this is a myth; today, they can invest regardless of their initial capital. The main challenges women face to begin investing include the difficulty of generating wealth, specifically due to the wage gap, the lack of flexible jobs and maternity leave, found GBM. Women, in general, are less inclined to take risks than men. Added to this are sociocultural factors, such as the traditional role of women as homemakers, which may lead them away from money-making activities, as previously reported by MBN. 

The low participation of women and the lack of equitable conditions in the labor market holds back the country's economic potential. It has been forecasted that it will take 135.6 years to close the global gender gap and 267.6 years to close the economic participation and opportunity gap. While about 50% of the world's population is female, they participate with only 38% of the human capital wealth, according to the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO).

Women represent 47% of the global workforce, 40% of women are entrepreneurs and, for the first time in history, hold 10% of CEO positions in the S&P 500. "I want to invite all women to start investing. We know that 65% of women globally are banked, but in Mexico, only two out of ten investors are women. We are excellent planners, administrators and also investors. It is time for women to start investing and become visionary women," says Arias. 

Mexico has a female economic participation rate of 43.6%, which is lower than the world average of 48.5%. It is also lower than that of similar economies such as Colombia’s 50.3% or Brazil’s 49.5%. Despite several efforts, the economic participation rate of women in Mexico has fluctuated between 40% and 45% over the last 17 years. Although female employment is at a level similar to that of the pre-pandemic period, the conditions of recovered employment are not optimal, reads IMCO's report.