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Project Description

In Mexico, women make up only 3 out of every 10 college graduates with STEM degrees. This gender gap can be traced to family and school factors during childhood that shape the rest of women’s professional lives. STEM graduates earn some of the highest incomes among graduates, and the gender income gap is also lower among them. However, gender gaps in fields and positions at work persist among STEM graduates in the labor market. Attracting more women to STEM and ensuring they grow and advance in their careers would allow Mexico to benefit from women’s scientific potential. Strengthening women’s participation in these occupations would also send a message to young girls about the importance of women in science.

This research report provides a snapshot of women’s presence in STEM in higher education and the workforce in Mexico. Using data from labor market surveys and college administrative records, it outlines the main challenges faced by women who study or work in STEM and offers policy suggestions to address them.

What was my involvement in this project?

I was the main author of this research report, which analyzes 10 years of data from household surveys and administrative records on college enrollment to describe how the gender gap in STEM subjects and occupations begins in childhood and grows to shape women’s professional careers. While I co-authored the report with a colleague, I was responsible for all data processing, analysis, and visualization. After its publication, I presented the report at interviews and conferences.

Additional content for this project can be found below and in the links beneath this page’s main title.