Mexico Pushes Gender-Inclusive Economic Growth at G20 Summit

At the G20 Trade and Investment Ministers’ Meeting in Brasília, Mexico’s Ministry of Economy (SE) announced plans to introduce new policies aimed at increasing women's participation in traditionally male-dominated sectors. 

One of the key measures involves training programs for women in sectors such as manufacturing, construction, transportation, and energy. The SE aims to improve recruitment efforts in these industries, which have historically been dominated by men. The initiative will also focus on developing interpersonal skills, such as leadership, to ensure more women occupy decision-making roles in company boards and industry associations.

In addition to workforce integration, the SE will collaborate with the Ministry of Women and the Ministry of Labor to establish agreements on caregiving within companies. This includes promoting caregiving policies and infrastructure, particularly for early childhood, through private sector support. The initiative seeks to address Mexico’s current five-day paternity leave policy, which is well below the OECD average. Extending paternity leave is seen as a means to distribute caregiving responsibilities more equitably.

The policy guidelines also plan to integrate a gender perspective in the planning and development of the "Corridors of Well-Being," an initiative focused on territorial planning. The goal is to provide workers with access to caregiving systems, thereby fostering the economic empowerment of women. 

Despite recent progress in women’s labor force participation, challenges persist. According to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), female workforce participation increased by seven percentage points between 1995 and 2022. However, income disparities persist, as reported by the SE. Data from the 2022 National Household Income and Expenditure Survey show that women’s average income was 43.1% lower than that of men. Additionally, sectoral data from 2018 reveals that women comprised only 12.9% of the workforce in construction and 17.9% in transportation, postal, and warehousing sectors.

The Ministry emphasized that gender equality is not only an ethical imperative but a strategic priority for economic growth and competitiveness of the country. By introducing these measures, Mexico aims to position itself as a leader in gender equality within economic development and to foster a more inclusive and prosperous future.