Men and Boys in Mexico Face Major Challenges and Disadvantages

PRESS RELEASE
Contact: Henry Herrera
Phone: +1-301-801-0608
Email: davia@endtodv.org

Men and Boys in Mexico Face Major Challenges and Disadvantages

January 23, 2025 — Men and boys in Mexico face disadvantages and challenges in such areas as health, education, work, and violence. Often, the difficulties that men experience go unnoticed, making it important to highlight these issues to foster a more inclusive and equitable society for all.

Homelessness: According to the 2020 Population and Housing Census by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI), 5,778 homeless people were recorded in Mexico, of whom 5,052 were men and 726 women, revealing that 87.4% of the homeless population were men. (1)
Although the general poverty rate for men and women is similar (35.6% for men and 36.9% for women), men often experience greater exclusion from direct aid services, for example….. (2)

Education: Men in Mexico face higher dropout rates compared to women, especially in secondary education. During the 2022-2023 school year, the national dropout rate in upper secondary education was 12.1% for men and 8.4% for women. (4) According to 2021 data, women represented 53.5% of the total university student enrollment, while men accounted for only 46.5%. (3)

Health: In Mexico, men’s health status reveals notable differences compared to women’s, especially in terms of mortality and life span. According to data from INEGI, 847,716 deaths were registered in 2022, of which 56% were men and 44% were women. (5)
Life expectancy also shows significant differences between the sexes. According to INEGI, in 2023 women had a life expectancy of 77.6 years, while men had a life expectancy of 72.2 years. (6)

Violence: In 2023, a total of 31,062 homicides were recorded in Mexico. The INEGI report details that homicide rates were 43.1 per 100,000 inhabitants for men, compared to only 5.4 for women. (7)

Workplace Deaths: The Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) reports that men are more likely to suffer workplace accidents than women. (9)
The occupational mortality rate is far higher for men (51.4 per 100,000 working-age adults) than for women (17.2 per 100,000). This is partly due to men being more represented in high-risk sectors such as construction and mining. (10)

Underreporting: From July to December 2022, 10,204 men over the age of 18 suffered some form of sexual assault daily, including intimidation, harassment, attempted rape, and rape, according to the National Urban Public Security Survey (Ensu) by INEGI. “It is often thought that only women can be sexually assaulted. I believe there is an immense lack of training in this country’s health and justice services, where there is no human rights perspective. And yes, men are the least likely to report these acts,” reveals Alaín Pinzón, general director of the civil organization Vive Libre. (8)

Shared Parenting: In Mexico, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI, 2022), 42.1% of judicial divorces result in shared custody being granted to both parents (11). However, exclusive custody to mothers remains the majority, although approximately only 30% of exclusive custody cases are assigned to fathers, according to various journalistic sources. Despite this progress, men still face significant barriers in seeking custody of their children, such as social stigmas and lack of legal support. It is essential to continue promoting public policies that encourage equality in custody decisions and recognize the crucial role of fathers in raising children.

Conclusion
The challenges faced by men in Mexico compared to women are not exclusive to the country, but are part of a global problem. (12) In response, lawmakers and governmental authorities around the world are speaking out to address these problems (13).

It is essential to acknowledge these disparities and take action to build a fairer and more inclusive environment, promoting equal opportunities for all.

Links:

1.https://ciudadesdemx.wordpress.com/2023/01/16/personas-en-situacion-de-calle-en-mexico-una-aproximacion-geoestadistica/?utm

Men and Boys in Mexico Face Major Challenges and Disadvantages

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