Admitting, “No society treats its women as well as its men” (Cuetera, P.143) is the first step to understanding the gender issues and disparities between the sexes in a patriarchal society such as Mexico. Recent studies showed that only 29 percent of women in comparison to 87 percent of men are currently employed (Katz, P. 204). The level at which women experience sexism varies based on the size of the organization and the work unit within the company. In Mexico, women’s earning potential is negatively affected when combining work and school in relation to men. This can be attributed to occupational differences found at an

Growth of women in the labor force has proven to be contingent upon the implementation of public policy measures. Increasing the earning potential of women will not resolve the inequalities experienced and will not increase their workforce participation unless public policies are implemented. Therefore, over the last few decades, the Mexican government began addressing the issue by implementing programs and actions relating to women. The objectives and goals of these programs include creating equal access to education; combating poverty among women; increasing women’s employment opportunities and protecting their rights (Katz, P. 292). In retrospect, CONMUJER (Cordinacion General de la Comicion Nacional de la Mujer) was created in 1998 to advocate legislation and regulation benefiting women.

Furthermore, Mexico is known for its income inequality and has one of the largest gaps in the world. The Reforma newspaper reported that Mexican executives earned 124 times more than low-level workers in 2001 (Country Wire: Mexican Executives). While the minimum wage for an average Mexican worker is $4 per day, a Chief Officer may be earning close to $490 per day. Executives account for only 12 percent of the workforce, but their inflated salaries are equal to 42 percent of the payroll. These economic inequalities have increased the labor movement of men across the border for better paying jobs leaving two out of three families in rural Mexico without any working men at the home (LA Times, P. B6). Wages are, and will continue to be, a problem for convergence. Demographic developments in Mexico and the supply and demand situation with labor make the wage issue even more difficult.

The so-called abundance of labor in Mexico is a myth. Mexico has a scarcity of skilled labor and its pool of skilled labor is of a very limited size. The surplus labor that they have is very much structural, surplus labor that cannot be employed because they don't have the education, training, and supporting social infrastructure. Mexico has a sur

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