Women In Research And Science (WIRES), an Employee-Led Resource Group, held a webinar session on “Mentorship” as part of the International Women’s Day (IWD) celebration on 8 March. The webinar aligned with the group’s goal of connecting and inspiring its members by providing tools and shared knowledge that support professional development, build workplace relationships and strengthen networks and alliances across CGIAR. WIRES, which has IITA women as part of its organizing committee, is dedicated to championing and supporting women.
The moderator, Fiona Bourdin-Farrell, CGIAR Global Director of People and Culture, mentioned that WIRES wanted to do something practical to improve gender equality in CGIAR workplaces. Hence, it chose the theme “Mentorship” because building constructive relationships is beneficial to everyone.
The speaker, Helen Duce, CGIAR System Organization Consultant, highlighted the benefits of mentoring, challenges women face in mentorship, tips for finding a mentor, and the foundation of a great mentorship relationship. Sharing some of the challenges, she said that most senior positions in organizations are occupied by men who tend to mentor more men than women.
Also, men are cautious about mentoring women for fear of seeming inappropriate. Due to these challenges, women often miss out on compelling mentorship experiences. Duce stated that if women are well mentored, it will help build their confidence and connection and serve as an inspiration for them to work better. “Mentoring can help us better navigate our environment and is essential for our own progress in career and life generally. Mentoring helps us give back to our community,” she said.
Duce emphasized three tips for finding a mentor: Have a clear goal of what you want to achieve from the relationship; find someone ahead of you with practical and relevant experience; be specific by making clear to your mentor why you wish to connect and how they can help. To have a good mentorship relationship, Duce said, “Build trust by being honest; be open to listening and following your mentor’s opinions and advice; ask clarifying questions and be specific with your goals.”
Following the presentation, three CGIAR women shared experiences of how they have benefitted from mentorship. Mira Haddad, Research Associate at ICARDA, talked about how her colleague inspired her in career development and her boss supported her masters’ program. Deborah Nabuuma, Nutritionist at CIAT, spoke on how mentorship helped her have a clear vision and solid experience. Young Wha Lee, Module/Biometrics Lead at CIMMYT, also shared how mentorship helped her learn how to manage relationships better.
In concluding the webinar, Louise Sarant, Communications Specialist at ICARDA, stated that mentorship programs work best when properly designed and well communicated. Hence WIRES will be launching a mentorship program this year. “Thanks to all for attending and our amazing storytellers for sharing your inspiring stories,” she said.
Contributed by Favour Ochuwa Eleta
Contributed by
Recent stories