Breathe
By Pilar Becerra
In Mexico, women represent approximately 15% of the workforce in the technology sector, a field that remains largely male-dominated. Although the number of women in technical positions has been increasing thanks to initiatives that promote STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) education, growth has been slow.
In 2021, according to UNICEF, women represented around 13.5% of graduates in STEM careers. Globally, the proportion of women in technical roles, such as software development, is between 25% and 28% in 2024, suggesting that Mexico is making progress, but there is still work to be done to achieve equal representation.
At Spin, FEMSA's business unit, we currently have around 20% women in technology, data, design, and product roles, which are the "core of our business". At the beginning of 2023, that percentage was 18%, reflecting steady growth. The goal is to reach 40% STEM women across our business unit by 2030. Spin is an ecosystem of simple, agile, secure and reliable financial and digital solutions that allow you to do more with your time and money. This drives us to continue developing attraction and retention strategies for our employees.
Today we are focused on improving our system and context because, in the future, we have a dream we aspire to: that our female employees who currently work at OXXO, Coca-Cola FEMSA, Doña Tota, Farmacias YZA, and other FEMSA businesses will have the opportunity to develop in this field if they wish to do so.
We imagine a future with more options for María Pérez, for example, who today works at an OXXO in San Luis Potosí. She is a single mother, is 26 years old and studied up to the first year of high school. She is the main breadwinner in her home, which she shares with her mother, who helps her take care of her 4-year-old son. We want her to be certified as a backend developer and become our next developer for Spin Premia or Spin by OXXO.
One of the aspects that has helped us the most in terms of equity and flexibility are the "Flexiverse" initiatives. This set of actions establishes guidelines to promote teamwork and collaboration, while providing the flexibility to work from anywhere in Mexico. We believe that productivity is not measured by the hours people spend in the office or in front of a computer, but by the empowerment they are given to achieve their goals.
Examples of "Flexiverse" include establishing schedules that respect personal time and time to focus on work, as well as specific times for collaboration and teamwork sessions. We have also focused on holding more effective meetings and resolving issues asynchronously. However, we believe that physical interactions are important, so we organize face-to-face meetings at certain times of the year to ensure alignment, integration, co-creation and team development.
*She is currently the Head of People Experience at Digital @FEMSA.
She is a psychologist with a master's degree in Human Capital Development and has more than 15 years of experience in Human Resources, with extensive experience in areas such as HR Business Partnering (HRBP), Talent, Development, Culture, and Diversity and Inclusion. Her main motivation is to help people reach their full potential and become the best versions of themselves, thus contributing to the creation of healthier organizations and, ultimately, to a more humane, healthy and just world.
https://www.linkedin.com/company/spin-femsa
The opinions expressed are the responsibility of the authors and are absolutely independent of the position and editorial line of the company. Opinion 51.
Comments ()