Gender Equity in the Mexican Workplace

In February 2017, Mexico enacted landmark constitutional reforms, which aim to transform its labor justice system into a more transparent and impartial system to better protect freedom of association and collective bargaining rights. In May 2019, the President of Mexico signed into law the necessary legislation to fully implement the 2017 constitutional reforms. As a result, hundreds of thousands of collective bargaining agreements will need to be reviewed and voted on by union members. 

In addition to these reforms, several articles of Mexico’s federal labor law codify prohibitions and responsibilities to prevent and address workplace discrimination and violence both on the part of employers and within unions. Given gender discrimination in the workplace and challenges to decent work is widespread, there are considerable barriers to implement these laws.