Womentor

"Womentor- European Federation of Mentoring for Girls and Women" is an NGO/NPO. The mission of "Womentor" is gender equality through mentoring. Reductions of gender gaps in employment, unemployment and payment, gender segregation, equal work and career opportunities, balance in private and family life. Womentor supports (member-) organizations, also from outside of EU, and has gained a professional level and quality criteria, “Womentor” award and certificate is well recognized and respected.
Aims: Promote policies of equal opportunities, fighting stereotypes, empower girls and women, exchange information, know-how and good practice.
Activities: managing research and pilot projects, networking and lobbying activities, running public relations.
Values: Active participation, Cooperation, Share of know-how, Gender sensitive, No discrimination, Value diversity, Confidentiality, Mutual respect, Mutually beneficial, Focus on strengths.
Womentor - European Federation of Mentoring for Girls and Women was established 2008 in Austria. It has 13 members from 11 different countries- „Project office for innovative social policy“(Austria), “NGO Öökull” (Estonia), „German Association of Women Engineers“(Germany), “Greek women’s engineering association” (Greece), „International Zonta Jelgava Club (Latvia), „Regional Centre for Sustainable Rural Development” (Romania), „Inova“ (United Kingdom), People to People International – Chapter Plovdiv(Bulgaria), Club Young Scientists ( Bulgaria), Association Filia (Czech Republic), Mädchenzentrum Café Dauerwelle ( Germany), Euro-net (Italy) and Balkaya Youth And Sports Club Associate( Turkey).
Our main activities are:
1. Research

issues that concern women and mentoring:
Intercultural and national impact of these issues?
Research to find the best practice to improve the situation and share the know-how about these topics

2. Common projects

Common European language- (same words – different meanings)
Common guidelines
Newsletter
Trainings for mentors, organizations and target groups
Innovative projects in the field of mentoring
Develop a certificate
E- Library (database)

3. Dissemination

To be more efficient in our work and increase the impact at the European level

4. Public relations

Womentor award- criteria
Promoting Youth in Action program
How to connect successfully with the policy makers and multipliers

5. To force and support the participation of young women

leading position in policy and working places
decision making position
in general

6. Develop further our corporate identity and design
7. Fundraising

Strategy for stable funding

Target groups for the activities are:

Women and Girls
Returners, Newcomers, Business Women;
Girls and Women with fewer opportunities (Educational difficulties, Early school-leavers,, Social difficulties, Cultural differences, Economic difficulties, Geographical difficulties);
Girls and Women in non- traditional fields;
Organizations that provide mentoring and training for mentors

CURRENT PROJECT: WE:MENTOR
www.wementor.eu

The project WE:MENTOR brings together experienced programme co-ordinators and less experienced co-ordinators of mentoring programmes (particularly focused on women) together in order to share knowledge and best practice in order to increase the potential quality of programmes provided for both mentors and mentees.
Main aim is to encourage participants to combine their new knowledge of these methods and ideas for future activities and implement them in new lifelong learning projects. A series of practical workshops will run throughout the partnership, facilitated by partners with the most experience in that particular field. Possibilities like mentoring volunteers, ICT tools for future mentors and program leaders will be introduced and encouraged them to use these tools and therefore bring more innovation and variety into the field of mentoring.
The project has the potential to lead to greater European co-operation between mentoring co-ordinators and their organisations, mentors and female mentees across Europe. Through sharing knowledge and experiences gained in different countries and cultures, the partnership will also develop greater awareness of the cultural experiences of mentors and female mentees across Europe which will hopefully lead to greater understanding of differences as strengths.