Why We Need More Female Mentors
As much as we celebrate the rise of each female CEO and Prime Minister, women should not forget that they are still in the minority when it comes to women in leadership positions. Add to the fact that there are ‘men’ who still claim that the wage gap is a myth and that these women only got there because of their husbands. It doesn’t help matters when there are women who chose to use their bodies to rise to the top.
Women Being Their Own Enemy in the Workplace
The rise of the MeToo Movement met a quick roadblock in 2017 when women found out that most of these actresses actually volunteered for their assault in order to get ahead. Other women who were there at the time started coming out and revealing how these women got roles that could have gone to another if they hadn’t chosen that path. And the fact that this wasn’t only limited to Hollywood, but to every field and even in schools, made women their own worst enemy.
The sad reality is that every woman has that one girl that they knew who either slept their way through school or used their body to get a raise and/or a promotion. What’s worse, it isn’t hearsay, but actual eyewitness accounts and if they reported it, more often than not, that woman would be penalized instead. This makes it harder for women to trust each other or even take advice from each other.
Another factor that made it hard for women to rise to the top on their own merits, is the lack of female mentors. More often than not, women are told to stick to traditional, fields or focus on traditional roles. Then when there are women in positions to make a difference, rarely do these hands reach down to pull another sister up.
Why We Need More Female Mentors
It's no wonder that women aren’t getting into the billionaire and trillionaire clubs easily. The struggle is still real, even if their father was an entrenched member who paved their way, just like they do for their sons. Where the son can squander away the family fortune without a murmur, a daughter is expected to get married which benefits the family, manage her home like a queen, and increase business profits without letting her hemline show.
The unnecessary pressures placed on women to be perfect in every way on their way to the top should not be a one-way standard based on male approval. That’s why we need more women leaders to change the archaic rules that they had to suffer through in order to achieve their positions and even the playing field. We need more female mentors to encourage women to step up and teach them the right skills and mindset they need to rise to the top.
In most countries, women are still being subjugated by societal and cultural rules. Even in the United States, women’s rights are being slowly eroded by lawmakers and misogynistic pundits who believe women’s rights are not good for the economy or family life. Female mentors have a role to play in restoring the balance and encouraging girls to stand up for the rights of women by teaching them to respect themselves, build up one another, and make decisions that benefit their futures.
How to Be a Fantastic Female Mentor
You don’t have to be a CEO, Boss Lady, or President to be a female mentor. You can be a recovering addict, homeless, or even just a good friend. No matter your situation, once you have a story to tell and a lesson they can learn from, you can be a female mentor.
Just remember to…
Keep Your Ego in Check
Understand the person you are mentoring is not your successor, neither are they miniature versions of you. Keep in mind, it has different paths to success, your goal is to show them what’s available and let them pick their own way. Even if they’re wrong, it can be a lesson they needed to learn.
Emphasize Compassion, not Pity
Everyone has a certain degree of pride and many would rather you teach them to fish rather than feed them a fish every day. Remember the human and treat them as you would want to be treated. Since everyone is different, just because you did it doesn’t mean they can do it the same way.
Encourage Critical and Analytical Thinking
To succeed in fields that are male-dominated and sometimes dangerous, you need to know how to handle the added physical stress and threats that come with it. Mindset development is crucial and builds creative, critical, and analytical thinking skills.
Never Let Them Forget Their Feminity
Becoming one of the boys isn’t and should never be the goal. Whether you’re in heavily male-dominated fields, women should still be women. They should embrace the grace, innate intelligence, and care that women naturally have and use it to remind their male peers, they are not one of them, they are going to be better than them.
Encourage Pass it On
Remind them at the peak of their success that they have an obligation to pass it on. If you mentor them right, the reminder would not be necessary And if they are worthy of your time, they will know that passing on the lessons and skills they have learned is a must.
Just because you have a vagina, doesn’t mean you should or are capable to raise a child. Opting out of motherhood may be the best thing if you are not physically, mentally, and financially ready to raise a child.
Female mentors should not only be speakers at women's conferences. Every girl’s first mentor should be their mother. And it is in this vital role you should take the utmost care in training your daughters to be the leaders of tomorrow.
