Barriers and strategies for women’s access to leadership positions

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.32870/punto.v12i22.287

Keywords:

gender equality, women, leadership, private sector, feminism

Abstract

This study analyzes the individual, organizational and structural obstacles women face in accessing leadership positions in the private sector in Sinaloa, Mexico. Grounded in a multilevel (macro, meso and micro) feminist theoretical framework, the research adopts a qualitative methodology based on semi-structured interviews with 12 female executives across diverse economic sectors. Findings reveal that women’s professional advancement is constrained by the regional economic context, the persistence of patriarchal culture, organizational norms and practices, limited institutional mechanisms for work-life balance, and subjective barriers. To attain managerial positions, women deploy both individual and collective strategies to navigate and resist persistent gender inequalities in the labor market. These findings contribute to broader debates on gender, leadership, and regional labor markets in subnational contexts.

Author Biography

Itzel Guevara Felix, Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa

Candidata a doctora en Estudios Regionales por la Universidad Autónoma de Sinaloa y Maestra en cooperación internacional por el Instituto de Investigaciones Mora. Autora de publicaciones sobre la condición de la mujer en la economía. 

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Published

2026-03-27

How to Cite

Guevara Felix, I. (2026). Barriers and strategies for women’s access to leadership positions. Punto Cunorte, 12(22), e22287. https://doi.org/10.32870/punto.v12i22.287