The Ministry for Equality’s Mentorship Programme for Women is now firmly established and well-known for its success. The Ministry for Equality is now organizing the commencement of the next cycle, making it the fourth one to be delivered, and is inviting potential new mentors and mentees to register their interest.
This initiative is a key part of the Ministry of Equality’s gender equality strategy and was first announced by the Minister for Equality, the Hon. Samantha Sacramento MP, on International Women’s Day in March 2018.
Since then the Ministry has organized three cycles of the Programme which has seen a total of 89 mentees benefit from the advice and expertise of well-established local and leading professionals.
The motivation for the Programme is to support women’s professional progress. Its aim is to develop the mentees’ skills so that they can confidently aspire to positions of leadership and management given that women are often under-represented in these positions. The overall aim of the Programme is to redress this imbalance and to ensure that any possible barriers encountered by women are overcome. A more equitable representation of women across organisations is not only a moral imperative but is also sound business-sense as it has been proven that more diverse teams do better than their less diverse counterparts.
The Women’s Mentorship Programme is open to women of 18 years of age, who are resident in Gibraltar and who feel that they would benefit from a mentor. The Ministry encourages women who fall into this category to register their interest for the Women’s Mentorship Programme. Please email equality@gibraltar.gov.gi to register your interest. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, so if applicants are not successful in securing a mentor in this round, it is likely that they will be matched with a mentor for the next three-month cycle. The deadline for completed applications is Friday 30 September.
Potential mentors are encouraged to register their interest by sending an e-mail to equality@gibraltar.gov.gi. Mentors who take part in this Programme are volunteers with significant experience and expertise, who can offer advice and learning opportunities to mentees seeking career advice and support. Mentors must attend a mentor orientation meeting prior to their first mentoring session with a mentee.
Minister for Equality, the Hon. Samantha Sacramento MP, said: “I am delighted to invite applications from mentors and mentees to the fourth cycle of the Women’s Mentorship Programme. To date and since the launch of the pilot cycle in 2018 we have provided professional development opportunities and invaluable professional networking to 89 mentees. Feedback continues to be very positive and despite the many challenges of the last couple of years I was very pleased that we were able to run a third cycle in 2021-2022.
“I am very proud of this Programme because I have repeatedly heard first-hand from mentees how much they have benefitted from it and how much they have enjoyed their relationship with their respective mentors. Mentors have also reported high level of satisfaction with the Programme and I would like to thank all mentors for their invaluable and selfless contribution to the Women’s Mentorship Programme. Proof of the very positive relationships formed through the Programme is that a high number of mentees and mentors continue to maintain contact once the formal Programme is over. There has already been significant interest expressed in the Programme by those wishing to participate in the next cycle.
“I would like to encourage potential mentees who are considering professional development and who would like a new challenge to register for the Women’s Mentorship Programme – I am sure they will enjoy a fruitful and positive mentoring experience. Anyone interested in taking part and would like more information can reach out to my team at the Ministry for Equality.”
