Establishing mentoring programs for the advancement of women in the workplace

Abstract

Women make up almost half of the workforce, but only a small percentage are ever promoted above middle management (Zarya). Although more women are working now than ever before, the numbers of high-level management positions still are primarily occupied by men, and the reason for this imbalance is still unclear. Why are women not able to break that glass ceiling? What is keeping them out of positions of power and decision making, and what might be done to assist women with professional development and promotion? Formal mentoring programs designed specifically for women have been in existence for many years, and they have great potential to be beneficial for career advancement. Although these programs are not new, most women have never participated in them (Montazavi). From a human resource development perspective, formal mentoring programs, especially effective formal mentoring programs, should be encouraged for women. Establishing effective formal mentoring programs can help to reduce the barriers that women face when trying to succeed in the workplace. Formal mentoring programs are the answer in how to break through that glass ceiling. They can provide encouragement and foster the self-advocacy needed to overcome career barriers and succeed.

Current situation and barriers to women’s leadership in health care education in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional study

“…When women leaders lack these connections, they are at risk of losing crucial opportunities, which could hinder their professional growth. To address this challenge, decision-makers of academic institutions should consider creating networking opportunities and mentorship programs to open doors for women leaders to connect with high-level decision-makers at academic institutions and the Ministry of Education ( Groves, 2021 , O’Brien et al, 2023 ).…”

Finding Room for Indigenous Women in Educational Leadership: Why Structured Mentorship and Training Are Needed

“…Because leadership practices rely so much on the context of both the leaders and those whom they lead, there is a need for researchers in adult education and HR development to learn about the identities and lived experiences of indigenous women in education and what conditions can help support them in transitioning into these roles more easily and more often. Mentoring, according to Groves (2021), provides women in various industries with the advocacy and encouragement they need to move forward. Because of this, researchers in the fields of adult education and HR development need to investigate what types of mentorship programs, leadership approaches, and other factors can lead to a greater representation of indigenous women as school leaders.…”

“…Groves (2021) also sees a deep need for mentoring programs for women, mainly because in many industries, a large proportion of high-level management positions are still held by men; this is true for educational leadership as well, especially for women from indigenous communities. And despite dramatic shortages of qualified K-12 leaders in various school districts in Canada and the United States, few women are provided with the support to move up the ranks; without a distinct program to mentor qualified women for positions of authority, this shortage will continue (Tucker & Fushell, 2014).…”

“…As Groves (2021) explains, formal mentoring programs are essential because they effectively reduce barriers that are in place, barriers that keep women from advancing in their careers. Based on research, we see that indigenous women face additional layers of marginalization that exclude them from administrative spaces, marginalization that is directly linked to their contexts and the communities they come from (Robinson et al, 2020).…”