Mexico Still Lags in Women’s Corporate Representation in 2025

A study by the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO) revealed that in 2025 women in Mexico will occupy only 14% of seats on boards of directors. At the regional level, the country is lagging behind in terms of gender equity within the labor sector, being surpassed by Colombia, Brazil, and Chile.

For the fifth consecutive year, the report Women in Companies developed by IMCO in partnership with Kiik Consultores, measures the representation of women on boards and in senior management across nearly 200 companies listed on the country’s stock exchanges. Moreover, for the first time, a survey was conducted among more than 250 companies to measure gender gaps at the state level, in collaboration with the Secretariat of Economic Development of Jalisco.

According to IMCO, in 2025 the number of women in management positions grew by only 1% compared to 2023 and 2024. If this trend continues, gender parity on corporate boards in Mexico would not be achieved until 2043. On the other hand, boards without any female representation decreased by 5% compared to the previous year. However, 19% still do not have a woman among their members.

In the particular case of Jalisco, in the IMCO ranking States With a Gender Lens 2025, the state is rated with a medium–high performance due to the conditions it offers for women to enter and remain in the labor market. It stands out for having few access barriers for women to join the workforce, greater economic autonomy, and a high presence of formal female entrepreneurs.

Women’s participation in the business sector of Jalisco is considered almost equal, since around four out of every ten companies have workforces in which women represent more than half of personnel. In MSMEs, 47% of business owners are women and in one out of every five companies women occupy more than half of executive positions.

Cindy Blanco, Minister of Economic Development, Jalisco, highlighted that the state is the first to carry out this type of effort at the national level, marking a turning point in the equality and labor equity agenda. “It is important to note that 25% of large companies have women in decision-making positions, and in small and medium-sized companies this is almost 50%. I believe we are advancing compared to the national average,” she added.

The study also points out that in Jalisco leadership is segregated by type of area. While women are advancing in functions such as finance, marketing and human resources, their presence decreases in operations, technology and sales. This concentration limits diversity in decision-making and shows that the progress made has not yet translated into an equitable distribution of leadership. Additionally, IMCO indicated that the state still faces challenges such as low early childhood care coverage and insecurity in public transportation, which limit women’s economic opportunities.

In terms of inclusion, the study highlights actions related to labor flexibility, pay transparency and the use of standardized interviews in hiring processes. The most common policy is continuous training and leadership programs, at 58%. Furthermore, 39% of companies listed on the stock exchanges report having inclusion policies, and 11% publish a sustainability report.

At the international level, Mexico remains behind, since among the largest companies in the country the proportion of women on boards reaches 17.5%, well below the 32.5% OECD average for 2024, and countries such as France and New Zealand, which exceed 47%. It is also behind other Latin American economies such as Colombia with 25%, Chile with 24% and Brazil with 22%. 

During the presentation of the report, a panel brought together representatives from both the public and business sectors in Jalisco. María Teresa Tirado, Executive President and CEO, Grupo Collins, recognized that there are practices and barriers in organizations that hinder the development of women. “I believe we are complements. We need to support each other and try to change that mindset. We need to help more people get on board with change,” she said.