Towards greater gender equality

Mexico has a long way to go on the road to gender equality. Over the past two decades, Mexico has achieved some progress thanks to comprehensive laws strengthening women’s rights. However, entrenched acceptance of discriminatory social norms, legal loopholes and inadequate public support for working parents undermine gender equality. Although women’s educational attainment now matches men’s, fewer than half of working-age Mexican women are in the labour force. Nearly 60% of Mexico’s working women hold informal jobs, with little social protection and low pay. Mexico’s adolescent pregnancy rate remains five times as high as the OECD average, and the share of young women not in employment, education or training is nearly four times the rate for young men. Across all age groups, Mexican mothers are less likely to be employed than mothers in most OECD countries. Violence against women remains widespread. Aside from the moral imperative, greater gender equality will ensure a more efficient use of Mexico’s resources and promote sustainable inclusive growth.