Minister for Equality Thanks Mentors who have Participated in all Cycles of the Women’s Mentorship Programme - 863/2022

The Minister for Equality, Samantha Sacramento MP, met with mentors who have supported the Women's Mentorship Programme from its inception to the conclusion of the third cycle. The aim of the meeting was to thank them for their support of the programme and to obtain feedback from the mentors who, as having participated in the programme throughout, are best placed to advise on improvements.

The Women's Mentorship Programme, which was announced on International Women's Day in 2018, is a key initiative of the Gender Equality Strategy. It has garnered a great deal of interest from a cross-section of the local work force, both from the private and public sector, and it has enjoyed great success. To date, a total of 89 mentees have been able to benefit from the experience and expertise of established professionals enabling them to develop personal and professional skills.

Minister Sacramento, said: "I am delighted to have been able to receive and thank mentors who have supported the Women's Mentorship Programme from its very inception and throughout all three cycles which we have run to date. These mentors have very generously and continuously volunteered their time to give back to the local community and to help others as they make their way in their professional journeys. I know from feedback received that mentees enjoy practical support, excellent guidance and that they benefit hugely from the lived experience of their mentors. The mentors have made some valuable observations, which we will take on board for the future. I also know that many partnerships established as a result of the mentorship continue informally past the official end of each cycle. This is indicative of the sound matching process by the Panel of the Women's Mentorship Programme and of the mutually beneficial and enriching nature of the mentor-mentee relationships. The Programme's success is in no small measure a result of the enthusiastic and generous contribution made by mentors. I am hugely indebted to all mentors and am very pleased to have been able to thank these mentors for their unstinting support in person."

ENDS