Despite achieving higher education levels than men, Colombian women continue to earn less and face greater barriers in the labor market, according to data from the Federación Colombiana de Gestión Humana (Acrip) and DANE (The National Admistrative Department of Statistics) in collaboration with UN Women.
Women represent a more educated workforce, as 37% of them hold higher education degrees—compared to 27.5% of men—yet their average income is only 94% of men’s.
Experts attribute this disparity to structural discrimination, including the glass ceiling, persistent gender bias, and unequal parental leave policies that make employers more hesitant to hire or promote women. Unemployment among women (11.2%) nearly doubles that of men (6.7%).
The data obtained by Acrip and DANE concludes that, beyond the workplace, domestic and caregiving duties remain overwhelmingly female, which reflects the opportunities and unequal social expectations placed on women. This is demonstrated by data obtained from August 2025, when over 250,000 women left the workforce to engage in caregiving duties.
Compiled From: Daniella Mazo González, “La paradoja laboral en Colombia: las mujeres estudian más, pero ganan menos y tienen más cargas en la casa”, InfoBae, Oct. 3, 2025.