Do Men Earn More Than Women? Study Confirms Long-Held Suspicions

Do men earn more than women?

Controversy follows wage gap findings.

Research confirms suspicions.

A recent study has confirmed what has long been a source of debate and concern: the wage gap between men and women in Mexico persists significantly.

According to the analysis titled “Structural Discrimination and Social Inequality,” conducted by the National Council to Prevent Discrimination (CONAPRED), men earn on average 34.2% more than women, even when performing the same job functions.

This figure highlights an inequality that goes beyond salary, reflecting a structural problem involving factors such as gender stereotypes, ingrained discrimination, and limited access to educational opportunities.

Although progress has been made toward equality, there is still a long way to go before true professional equality is achieved.

Wage Gap and Gender

Do men earn significantly more than women? – Photo: Shutterstock

One of the most alarming aspects of the report is that this wage difference is not based on merit, experience, or education, but simply on being a woman.

Beyond unequal pay, many women face an unrecognized double workday: domestic and caregiving duties, which are highly demanding but unpaid.

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According to journalist Blanca Juárez on the podcast “Money and Personal Finance,” women spend an average of 42 hours per week on household tasks, while men barely reach 17 hours.

This imbalance prevents many women from joining or remaining in full-time formal employment, affecting their professional growth and economic independence.

The report also reveals that this invisible burden creates mental overload, impacting women’s physical health, emotional well-being, and overall quality of life.

The wage gap is not just a statistic; it reflects how the work environment continues to perpetuate traditional roles that devalue women’s contributions.

Experts like Juárez insist that in order to reduce this inequality, it is essential to make the issue visible and address it on multiple fronts.

Education with a gender perspective starting in the home is one of the fundamental steps, as is the implementation of public policies that promote wage equity.

Additionally, employers play a key role by establishing more inclusive and transparent labor practices, such as conducting salary audits and basing evaluations on performance rather than gender.

Unions and government agencies must also be actively involved to ensure that labor rights are applied fairly and without gender distinction.

If not urgently addressed, the wage gap could have long-term consequences, such as the precariousness of women’s pensions and greater economic vulnerability in old age.

Salary discrimination also limits the country’s economic growth by preventing a significant portion of the population from reaching its full productive potential.

Specialists agree that gender equity is not only a matter of social justice but also of sustainable economic development.

Closing the gap means not just paying men and women equally, but creating equitable conditions so that everyone can access the same job opportunities.

This includes ensuring equal parental leave, access to childcare, flexible work hours, and effective mechanisms for reporting discrimination.

Despite the challenging outlook, the CONAPRED report also serves as a call to action to build a fairer and more equitable future.

As long as women continue to earn less for the same work, equality will remain an unfulfilled promise.

Therefore, it is vital that as a society we stop normalizing inequality.

And start demanding working conditions that recognize, value, and respect everyone’s labor equally, according to El Heraldo de México.