By Paola Vázquez
Society Coordinator – IMCO

There is a Mazahua proverb It says: “When a girl is born, the ants lament because she will lock herself in the kitchen and not let them in, but when a boy is born, they celebrate because he will go to the cornfield and crumbs will fall that they can collect.” It is an honest—and harsh—way of reflecting what for a long time was a life dictated by beliefs and by the lack of opportunities. For women, perhaps some dreams crumbled before they could even be named. But it is also true that this is no longer the only possible reality.

In Mexico at the beginning of the 20th century, when a girl was born, the possibility of attending school was not. Her life would be dedicated to others, to caregiving, to the home, to the family.Over time, that reality began to change. As education became more integrated into women's lives, their decision-making power also expanded; now, they can choose whether or not to have a family, a paid job, and write their own stories.

Behind this change lie public decisions. The creation of the Ministry of Public Education in 1921 and the mass literacy campaigns marked the beginning of educational expansion. Decades later, the expansion of upper secondary education and the growth of public universities increased the educational opportunities in the country. In 1950, Only 3,000 women were enrolled in university; by 2020, the figure had reached 2.6 million..

The decision—and the possibility—for women to study for a degree not only increased, but did so at a faster rate than for men. Gender parity was achieved in classrooms before many other spaces. Since 2010, higher education has been gender-balanced, and today women represent 531% of university enrollment..

Education transformed what they could imagine for themselves, such as studying, working, and making decisions about their lives, from the age at which they get married to the time and number of times they become mothers. In economic terms, it also meant greater participation in the labor market and higher levels of autonomy.

However, the opportunities are not equal for everyone or in every case. Women continue to concentrate in careers related to caregiving, education, and the social sciences, which are often underserved. lower paidIn contrast, men predominate in engineering and STEM disciplines, where higher incomes and opportunities are concentrated.

The reasons for dropping out of education are also different. two out of every five women, Factors such as lack of resources, marriage, or pregnancy limit the continuity of their studies. In men, the obstacles are more associated with the need to work or a perceived lack of skills..

Education changed the starting point, but it hasn't completely changed the destination. It opened up the possibility of choice, but that choice is still conditioned by economic, social, and cultural factors. Moving from a single path to multiple trajectories is undoubtedly one of the most profound changes of the last century.

The challenge now is not just to have more options, but to ensure that all women can truly choose among them and that those options translate into well-being, autonomy, and opportunities throughout their lives.