Inequality for women who choose “men’s” careers

Scientists from the National Polytechnic Institute (IPN) of Mexico. Universities (Universities)

With more than a decade of experience as an industrial chemical engineer, Cynthia Nolasco has already experienced situations of harassment and discrimination in her workplaces in Mexico.

“At first no one wanted to hire me, and after a short time I realized that if I wanted to get a good position, I had to prove twice as much as my male colleagues,” says this 44-year-old professional.

Although his time in the food chemistry industry was tough for many years, he managed to obtain a position as a project leader for a certification in a food company.

“I was the only manager, and I had to strategize, because a lot of men find it hard to be ordered around or asked for things,” he says.

In the end, she had to resign from her job due to the impossibility of achieving good results and due to endless conflicts due to the discrimination of her colleagues, also engineers.

Sarah Conalesi, a 40-year-old biologist, agrees that to thrive in jobs traditionally held by men, women have to show much more.

"When presenting projects, when you want to abound in a studio, you have to give twice as many arguments to get the green light," she says.

“And not to mention that when you are a mother they also question you if you are capable of carrying out the investigations,” she comments in an interview.

In Mexico, certain areas of study and industry have historically been occupied by men.

Such is the case of STEM careers (those related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, for its acronym in English), since only 30% of these professionals are women.

In some areas of study at the research level, the percentage of women can be as low as 10%, as in the case of physics and astronomy.

In Mexico, only 3 out of 10 professionals with careers related to science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or #STEM, are women.

How are gaps generated and widened

?

– IMCO (@imcomx) March 2, 2022

Ara López has been working in the technology industry for almost ten years as a researcher for the development of projects.

And while she acknowledges that she works with many women, when she looks at her organization, all leadership positions are held by men.

“Projects are often full of stress and it is very common for managers or leaders to tell you 'calm down' ´you are drowning in a glass of water', minimizing the complaints of the researchers”, she comments.

Although López has been in his organization for several years (which he prefers to omit to avoid friction in his work area), he has not been able to get a promotion.

“I have seen that my colleagues move or get promoted, although it is not a performance issue that stops me, but something that is not discussed here,” he says.

According to data from the National Council to Prevent Discrimination (Conapred), although more than 40% of formal work spaces in Mexican companies are held by women, less than 40% have social security, less than 30% hold a job of leadership or decision-making, while women earn between 18 and 25% less for doing the same job as a man.

Claudia Silva, design leader in a programming and consumer technology project, indicates that she has encountered negative comments from one of her superiors, who is a woman.

“My colleagues say, 'what did she do to get to that position?', when her experience and the work she has done backs her up”, she says in an interview.

“What awaits me, then?” says the 33-year-old designer.

Nolasco recently started working in the cosmetics industry in the country with a colleague who is also an engineer.

“Having women leaders, the openness is greater, you work with young people, with experience, men and women.

The change must be in that sense, not just a dominating profile”, reflects the engineer.

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