The Glass Ceiling in Public Universities from Mexico: An Exploratory Analysis

Abstract

This study aims to identify the level of women representation in leadership positions on the central level in the Public Universities of Mexico during the year 2018. Information was collected from the websites of 37 Public Universities in Mexico, as well as from other official pages related to higher education such as CONACYT, ANUIES and ANFECA. Through the use of descriptive statistical and correlation techniques, results show that in 2018, the gender parity was not reached in the central level positions, obtaining an average of 36% of female representation. Furthermore, it is concluded that the size of the University does not significantly influence the level of inclusion of women in leadership positions at the central level. Obtained results obtained suggest that it is necessary to strengthen the parity policy in top management positions in Public Universities in Mexico, so this research identifies opportunity areas and recommendations to increase gender parity in the Mexican Public Universities. This study is a pioneer in Mexico and future research could analyze the influence of women on the academic performance or even extend this study to other Latin American universities.