What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?
Increasingly women are recognizing that having a mentor makes a difference in their self-actualization. If the desire to evolve and continue to learn and grow is how you process life, then you
will need support along the way.
CFUW in its efforts to promote women’s leadership and economic empowerment has launched
a national Mentorship Program (Pilot) that will focus on women in the STEM fields, Politics and
members who have CFUW leadership portfolios.
Women in particular need to be intentional to realize their potential. When was the last time you
met a woman who told you within the first few seconds of meeting her how important she is to
her company? However, men do that all the time. They tell you where they are going and
which job they think has their name on it. They also find a mentor who believes in them to help
them to the next level.
One of the most confident decisions a woman can make is to look for an appropriate mentor in
her area of interest. Whether it be a career goal, personal goal, a CFUW organizational goal or
a combination of all three, participating in a formal mentorship program can assist in achieving
those goals.
For too long, women have personalized systemic barriers such as lack of quality affordable
childcare, devaluation of the role of women in Politics and the STEM fields, plus gender biases
in society. On top of those barriers women internalize shame for not being able to crack the entry code into predominantly male fields. How does this play out in a woman’s life? She makes
alternate choices that do not match her full potential.
CFUW’s commitment to mentorship in the STEM fields is to encourage women to pursue careers in these areas. However, a secondary role of purposeful mentorship is to gather data to
inform federal and provincial policymakers on the critical role that science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education plays in the career goals of women. STEM education for
women and girls must be elevated to a national priority. Mentorship ensures vigilance, commitment and partnering to maximize opportunities.
In the political arena, women lag behind men significantly. There are still too few women in politics and women who do break through report hostile environments that force them to shorten
their political careers. A thoughtful, committed mentor who is prepared to walk along side an
ambitious woman can make all the difference in her achieving her goals.
CFUW will connect mentor and mentee in similar fields of interest and facilitate the first contact.
In dialogue, mentor/mentee teams will mutually agree to a time commitment and determine areas of focus. The level of engagement in the process is self directed, yet responsive to the
needs of the mentee. Resources such as the CFUW Mentorship Guide is designed to help participants get started. This will be distributed to participants in the program.
If you have always wanted to be a mentor or you would like to be connected to a mentor please
contact Robin Jackson, Executive Director, 613-234-8252, ext. 102, [email protected] at the
national office by September 25, 2015. Your “yes” charts the way forward. Let’s make a difference together!
Cheryl Hayles
VP International Relations