Social Security Pensions for Mexican Elderly Women

A main feature of demographic ageing is the increased presence of women. Next to this evident fact it is also shown that because of gender differences elderly women meet worst health conditions and higher risks of widowhood, social handicap and economic dependence.
Economic security in old age depends on several factors, including the protection provided by social security. Coverage of the contributory pension system for elderly women is lower than men´s because of lower labour rights and shorter periods of contribution that are neglected in the planning and legislation of social security.
This paper analyzes the individual, familiar, and contextual factors that determine how women 60 and over access to a social security pension. Data comes from the National Survey of Employment and Social Security 2009. It is highlighted that only 17.6% get a pension and that factors such as age, marital situation, education level, number of children, contributions and the degree of urbanization of the place of residence determine the type and characteristics of the pension.