The adverse effects of structural adjustment on working women in Mexico

Abstract

The focus of this article is on the specific gender effects of structural adjustment on Mexican labor markets. The effects of adjustment policies on women workers depend to a great extent on the extent of their participation in labor markets and the particular sectors in which they work. If they are concentrated, for example, in export sectors, it is possible that they could derive net benefits from structural adjustments. Our evidence suggests, however, that the condition of women workers has in fact worsened under structural adjustment. There has indeed been greater participation by women in wage employment, but this has been at significantly lower wages than those of men, especially in manufacturing. The increased employment of women has mainly been due to the growth of maquiladora manufacturing and the service sector. However, these are low-wage sectors or sectors in which wages have been held down by government policy in order to increase international competitiveness.