These challenges are magnified by high rates of informality. The earnings gap4 between self-employed men and women in Mexico is 47.6% - one of the highest gaps in the OECD, and well above the OECD average of 33.2%. Part of the gender gap in earnings can be attributed to women’s preferences for self-employment: women more than men are more likely to selfemploy out of a desire for work flexibility, which fosters a gender gap in hours worked and affects earnings (OECD, 2012).