Investing in Young Women: What New Data from Mexico City Tells Us About Opportunity Youth 

Mexico City is one of Latin America’s most dynamic economic centers. It is also a place where young women face a steeper climb to economic self-sufficiency. Nationally, 1 in 4 young women are neither in school nor working, a population known as Opportunity Youth. While women’s economic participation in the capital is the highest in the country, the data reveals a deeper story. Around 70% of young women who are not in the formal labor market are preoccupied with unpaid work in the home and caregiving. 

The Hilton Foundation’s Opportunity Youth initiative aims to support economic pathways for young people in our focus areas of Los Angeles, New Orleans, Mexico City and Mombasa. We invest in quality employment, viable careers, and job placements that create real pathways to economic mobility. In Mexico City, that means understanding and addressing the specific realities that shape young women’s choices and opportunities. 

We partnered with the Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO) 

The Mexican Institute for Competitiveness (IMCO) analyzed the socioeconomic conditions of young women in Mexico City, including their workforce participation and educational attainment. They developed 20 indicators for each alcaldía (borough) of Mexico City. Mexico City is not a single, uniform context–access to transportation, child care, safe public spaces, quality secondary and post-secondary education, and formal employment varies widely from one borough to another. With data and comparative analysis across boroughs, IMCO provides actionable recommendations for local public policy and business practice to build more inclusive, local economies for young women throughout CDMX. 

A Progress Monitor: “Mujeres jóvenes en la CDMX” 

IMCO developed an interactive online monitor “Mujeres jóvenes en la CDMX” with 20 key indicators to examine the socioeconomic conditions of young women. This public tool (in Spanish only) compares conditions across boroughs to better understand local disparities and opportunities. 

While the dashboard is only available in Spanish, these are some of the key takeaways for policymakers, employers and practitioners: 

• Around 70% of young women who are not in the formal labor market are occupied in unpaid work in the home or caregiving. 

• At least 35% of young women lack their own income, even when we exclude those who are still in school. 

• In several boroughs, young women’s educational attainment has improved, yet access to formal, decent work remains limited. 

• Boroughs differ markedly in terms of school completion rates, labor informality, access to health services, and exposure to violence and risk. 

IMCO’s recommendations point to two priority areas for action: 

• Formal employment: Municipal governments can play a decisive role by implementing progressive programs, including job-related training and first-job opportunities, that prepare young women for quality employment. Companies can also collaborate with youth networks to open clearer pathways into formal work. 

• Care system: The Head of Government, in coordination with borough authorities, can design and implement policies and programs that respond to local care needs. These measures would help reduce the unpaid care burden that keeps so many young women out of the labor market. In parallel, the Mexico City Congress has an opportunity to advance and approve legislation that guarantees the right to care. 

Together, these findings highlight the reality that young women in Mexico City are doing a great deal of work, but too often it is not recognized and not linked to long-term economic mobility. Disparities among boroughs means that policies and programs must be tailored by boroughs, not designed as one-size-fits-all citywide responses.  

IMCO has successfully presented these findings to municipalities and organizations throughout Mexico City, including the mayors of Iztapalapa, Cuauhtémoc, and Miguel Hidalgo;16 Economic Development Departments of the municipalities; Chair of the Mexico City Congress Youth Committee; ten councilors from the Mexico City Congress Committees; Meeting with the Secretary of Economic Development and Clara Brugada’s technical team; Secretary for Women; Secretariat for Indigenous Peoples and Communities (SEPI); Consejo Coordinador Empresarial (largest business association); G100 (women business leaders network); and the Women Economic Forum. 

Investing in young women’s access to quality work and strengthening local systems is essential to unlocking Mexico City’s economic potential. When young women have real pathways to economic independence, Mexico gains a more productive labor force and supports resilient families and communities. 

IMCO Press Release (English) 

“Mujeres jóvenes en la CDMX” Online Monitor (Spanish only) 

Download the scorecards for CDMX’s 16 alcadias (Spanish Only)