Women in the mexican university: spaces conquered and to be conquered

Abstract

Gender gaps remain in different areas of social life, not the exception being the educational field. In Mexico, there are clear asymmetries between women and men in universities, whether they are teachers or students. These institutions have a rector as their maximum authority, except in a minimum percentage, where there is a woman rector, which indicates the prevalence of the glass ceiling. With regard to enrolment, in bachelor's degrees, female enrolment is slightly higher than that of men; but this is not the case of postgraduate degrees or the areas of science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM), in which the presence of men stands out, who, in the medium and long term, will perform a job in these fields, where incomes are higher; This fact prolongs the line of inequality. This article presents the results of a documentary analysis of the spaces held by men and women in Mexico's state public universities. The results show the progress made, that is, that some gaps have been closed, but the presence of asymmetries makes it necessary to adopt institutional policies and substantive actions that make a still necessary equality between women and men a reality.