7 Structural and Ideological Gender Equality in Mexico Sonia M. Frías Gender inequality is "the departure from parity in the representation of women and men in key dimensions of social life" (Young et al., 1994, p. 57). Its opposire, gender equality, is the measurable equal representation of women and men assuming that men and women, although not the same, have equal value and should he accorded equal treatment. Therefore, in a society with full equality, women and men can enjoy the comprehensive list of political, economic, civil, social and cultural rights, with no one being denied access to [hese rights, or deprived of them, hecause of their sex. According ro the 2014 United Nations Development Program's (UNDP) Gender Inequality Index,' Mexico ranks 74th arnong the most equal coun- tries of the world (UNDP, 2015). Mexico, is a federation formed of 32 states that have distinct character- istics based on their history, environment and resources, level of economic development, racial and ethnic composition, and numerous othcr factors. There are important cross-state and regional differences in terms of educa- tion, poverty, development, distribution of basic services and health within Mexico that suggest that the lcvels of structural gender equality are hetero- geneous (Frías, 2008). The origins of gender inequality are traced to social structures that perpetuare men's domination of women in all arcas of privare and public life. This structural system of domination has existed through- out history and has heen laheled patriarchy. Legal, political, economic and ideological structures, including the religious system have contributed to its persistente (Dobash et al., 1979; Moghadam, 2004). These structures directly or indirectly maintain and reinforce the -ideology and reality of men's authority over women. There is ample evidente that at the societal Level, norms and discourses related to gender roles and equality, as well the structural leve! of gender inequality influcnce individual-level behaviors. For example, structural gen- der inequality is associated with severa] negative outcomes affecting women, their children and the overall society such as partner violence (Frías, 2009; Smith, 1990; Straus, 1994), rape and sexual violence (Yodanis, 2004), homi- cides (Brewer & Smith, 1995; DeWees et al., 2003; Titterington, 2006), eco- nomic growth (Klasen, 2002) and mortality of children (Brinda et al., 2015).