Closing gender gaps in vocational training: Good practices of the National Training Institute (INA) of Costa Rica

The experience of the National Training Institute (INA) of Costa Rica shows how it is possible to make progress in closing gender gaps between men and women in skills development, based on a sustained institutional approach. Since the adoption of its Gender Equality Policy in 2013, the INA has promoted actions aimed at promoting the participation of women in sectors of high demand, particularly in technical areas and STEAM, as well as guaranteeing conditions of permanence and labour insertion.

The comparative analysis between the diagnoses of 2013 and 2024 shows that, although progress has been made in women's access to vocational training – who represent more than half of enrolment – structural gaps persist linked to occupational segregation, gender stereotypes and the unequal distribution of care responsibilities.

In the face of these challenges, the INA has strengthened its institutional framework, developed follow-up mechanisms and promoted specific strategies, such as economic support, vocational guidance and actions for the prevention of violence. The formulation of a new Gender Equality Policy for the period 2026–2037, adopted in 2026, consolidates these efforts and reaffirms the institutional commitment to equality.

This experience offers relevant lessons for other vocational training systems, demonstrating that the effective integration of the gender perspective requires articulated, sustained actions over time and aimed at both access and permanence and labour development of women.