GM's Commitment to Women's Advancement

In line with the United Nations initiative "Investing in Women: Accelerating Progress," General Motors Mexico (GM) has taken steps to boost women’s talent within its workforce. This initiative involves the company rolling out testimonials to underscore its internal initiatives aimed at promoting well-being and development of women, as reported by GM.

GM has spearheaded numerous initiatives aimed at bolstering women’s participation. One notable initiative by the company is a mentoring program, encouraging women to exchange experiences and insights within the organization. This program seeks to motivate more women to progress in their careers, while also enriching their roles through the dissemination of collective knowledge.

Demonstrating its commitment to inclusion, General Motors also ensures that all recruitment processes include at least one woman candidate and interviewer. Notably, in 2023, 37% of hires for people with disabilities were women. Moreover, according to the 2024 Global Gender Equity Report by Equileap, only 7% of women worldwide hold CEO positions, and General Motors is part of that percentage, being the first automotive company with a woman CEO, Mary Barra.

General Motors Mexico concluded 2023 with a noteworthy achievement of 31.6% representation of women in its workforce, thereby exceeding the global automotive industry average of 23.6%, as reported by Deloitte's 2020 Women at the Wheel study. Moreover, within the company's Executive Committee, five members are women, representing 27% of the total, reaffirming its commitment to inclusion and diversity across all areas.

Maria Zambrano, General Motors Mexico's Human Resources Director, emphasized the company's long-standing commitment to gender equity across all organization levels, including managerial and leadership positions. "We have made significant progress, although we are aware that there is still a long way to go," she stated.

This year, GM continued its Girls & Motors program to attract more female talent by organizing plant visits to promote careers in engineering and the automotive sector among students. Additionally, aligning with its dedication to fostering STEM skills among women, GM distinguishes itself through its support of initiatives such as the FIRST robotics program. This support extends to providing mentorship to participating teams, including Mexico's inaugural all-women’s team, the Pink Hawks. 

Additionally, the company donated US$30,000 to STEM Movement, an organization hosting workshops and conferences for middle school girls, teachers, and parents, stressing the importance of developing these skills in women, particularly at a level where there is a significant absence of women’s talent.

In Mexico, women are part of the entire automotive supply chain from manufacturing to the C-suite, and some are even leading Original Equipment Manufacturers. “Representation of women is gradually growing in the private sector and we have more and more examples of Women CEOs driving automotive companies,” said Lizette Gracida, Director of Government Affairs, Toyota Motor México. Renault's Magdalena López, BMW Group's Maru Escobedo and Genesis Motor's Claudia Márquez are just some of the women playing an active role in shaping the industry.

Although women are more visible in the industry, data shows that there are still numerous obstacles barring their way to professional advancement. According to Deloitte’s Women at the Wheel 2020, 4% of the surveyed women would move to a different industry due to the limited opportunities, diversity, and poor work-life balance in the automotive sector.