Do work-family balance policies in Mexico obstruct women’s professional development in management positions? María Barraza will examine this topic in her master’s thesis. She is a student of the Master's Degree in Social Science Research (MICS) at the Institute for Culture and Society (ICS) of the University of Navarra.

Through interviews and surveys, Barraza intends to analyze work-family balance policies within Mexican companies that women must deal with and "how companies fail to create best practices for women’s growth in management positions," she notes.

Barraza believes that business models can be developed to "address social problems such as poverty, social inequality and the empowerment of women."

After studying Humanities and Social Studies at the University of Monterrey, Barraza participated in research projects with several professors, which inspired her interest in research. Later, she worked at a venture capital firm in Mexico, where she was confronted with the topic she wants to study. "Only 16% of capital firms have at least one woman on their investment team," she laments.

In the master, she is focusing on geo-demography thanks to a grant from the Social Trends Institute. She believes the program is enriching because her courses are very interdisciplinary. In addition, she appreciates sharing experiences with the colleagues and professors she has met and in the classes she has taken, which have exceeded her expectations of the program.

• Read the full interview with María Barraca on the Social Trends Institute's webpage