The international conference on "Women in the Knowledge and Innovation Economy" began with a panel discussion on innovation and competitiveness led by AMEXCID Executive Director Gina Casar. The participants remarked on the need for more flexible schedules to allow women to combine work and family life, and on the fact that information technologies increase access to economic opportunities and contribute to the empowerment of women.
The panel consisted of COFECE President Alejandra Palacios Prieto; Geannina Dinarte Romero, Deputy Minister of Economy, Industry and Trade of Costa Rica; María Fernanda Casanueva de Diego, SHCP Undersecretary for Management and Budget; Teresa Cazola Bravo, entrepreneur; Alejandra Lagunes Soto Ruiz, National Digital Strategy Coordinator; Mateo Lejarza, President of Digital Convergence, AC; and Joana Caparrós Masip, President of Women Together.
The participants on the “Education and Knowledge: A Level Playing Field” panel, moderated by Natalia Saltalamacchia, Director General of the Matías Romero Institute, said that access to ICTs, greater technical and scientific skills and curriculum changes are crucial for the empowerment of women. "The creation of content is also the struggle of women to transform their reality. Words are power," said Claudia Calvin Venero, Director General of the Mexican Council on Foreign Affairs.
The panel on "Wages and profits: a demand for equality" discussed the challenges that remain to be resolved to end the pay gap and the unequal distribution of housework. The moderator was Alfonso Navarrete Prida, Secretary of Labor and Social Welfare.
Innovation, Culture and Equality panel
On the "Mexico: HeForShe" panel, the campaign for Mexico was presented. Ana Güezmes said that gender equality is not only a women's issue; men need to participate as well. So far, 700,000 men are part of HeForShe worldwide, of which 17,000 are Mexican.
The last speaker at #MECImx, Aurelio Nuño, said that, of all the reforms that have been put in place in Mexico, the educational reform is the most important. He continued by saying that "today, our country has an educational system with 34 million pupils and the challenge is to raise the quality of this great system."
