Supporting early-career women researchers: lessons from a global mentorship programme

Abstract

Mentorship is an important contributor to strengthening research capacity among health researchers. Formal mentorship programmes, targeting women mentees can help mitigate some of the gendered power dynamics and can also help early career researchers learn from others’ experiences of navigating these challenges. In 2020, the UNDP/UNFPA/UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction at the World Health Organization launched a mentorship programme geared towards early career women researchers. This paper describes the process of designing and implementing a mentorship programme for early career women sexual and reproductive health and rights researchers from low- and middle-income countries including valuable lessons learned vis-à-vis existing evidence. Some of these findings have been incorporated into iterations of the programme launched in 2022. Critical points include: ensuring considerations for language and geographical distribution; allowing mentees to participate in the matching process; providing training and opportunities to network and learn from other participants; offering the support and structure for developing these relationships. Providing women researchers with the tools – through mentorship – to navigate the unique challenges they face in their career journeys, can have a lasting impact on research capacity. Countries and institutions committed to strengthening research capacity need to focus on the holistic growth and motivation of individuals in a way that ensures gender equality.

Mentorship in academic medicine: truth is in the eye of the beholder

“…Do they value flexibility, availability and responsiveness, or do they prefer to be set clear, measurable goals? The mentor should be a good listener, be empathetic and strive for continuous improvement 4 , but it is also important to mesh well with the mentee’s goals and personality and to continuously evaluate the relationship 1 .…”

“…I am passionate about increasing women’s participation in research. The problem is often oversimplified as a lack of supply and demand; representation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), while improving, requires more work 4 – 6 . We should encourage women to stay in STEM, nominate them as conference speakers, for leadership positions 3 and medical advisory boards 2 , and continue to create an inclusive, diverse and equitable research environment.…”

“…These examples capture the spirit of mentorship, described as “the process whereby an experienced, highly regarded, empathic person (the mentor), guides the mentee for development and re-examination of their own ideas, learning and personal and professional growth by listening and talking in confidence to the mentee” 8 . Proven benefits for mentees include higher academic self-reliance with regards to clinical skills, research output and teaching, increased job satisfaction, a sense of empowerment, enhanced networking and career advancement 1 , 4 , 5 , 9 .…”

Partnering to Improve Mentorship Capacity for Ugandan Reproductive Health Researchers: Program Description and Evaluation

“…Mentorship is essential to health researchers in achieving their full potential and advancing public health, particularly for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHRs) research, where mentorship plays a big role in producing quality evidence to improve practice. 1 , 2 In most low- and middle-income country (LMIC) settings, there is a paucity of training on how to be a successful mentor. 3 , 4 Although many academic mentors in these settings have the necessary subject matter expertise, they may lack the knowledge, skills, and institutional resources needed to effectively mentor early-stage researchers.…”

“… 3 Furthermore, when researchers grow professionally as a result of quality mentorship, their motivation to continue working with their institutions may be enhanced, reducing attrition and maintaining research efforts where they are most needed. 1 , 6 In Uganda, as in many other low-income countries, academic mentorship has been identified as a key area for improvement to increase the quality and quantity of research produced and to support the development of the next generation of researchers. 7 However, there are currently few formal training programs available to support academic mentors in this role.…”