The Economics of Gender in Mexico: Work, Family, State, and Market

This report examines gender differences in the Mexican economy, with a focus on the labor market. It examines gender issues over the course of the life cycle, beginning with education and child labor, continuing with adult urban and rural labor force participation, and concluding with the situation of elderly Mexican men and women. While each chapter uses different data sources and analytical methodologies, the volume as a whole is guided by a gender perspective that examines the situations of both men and women as distinct groups and in relationship to one another. Drawing on national labor market statistics, specialized regional household surveys, and firm-level data, the chapters that comprise the volume are rich in detailed quantitative analysis, which is presented in relatively non-technical language. This report has its origins in the commissioning of a series of technical papers by the World Bank, in collaboration with several Mexican government agencies, including the Comision Nacional de la Mujer and the Secretaria de Hacienda y Credito Publico. A number of additional studies resulted from the first national Workshop on Gender Analysis and Public Policies in April 1997.