Women’s Economic Empowerment and Mentorship

Introduction 

The Center for Women’s Economic Empowerment (CWEE) at CIPE advances gender equality in emerging markets to build more inclusive, thriving economies and democracies that deliver for all citizens. This two-page briefer outlines how CIPE approaches women’s economic empowerment (WEE) using mentorship. This briefer lists some examples of CIPE programming and presents areas of interest for future research, project, and policy exploration.

Background

A mentorship is a relationship between an experienced senior individual and an inexperienced junior individual, designed for the senior individual to pass along their knowledge and experience.1 Much like networking, this relationship can open the door to new opportunities for both parties. The personal and individualized nature of a mentorship, however, provides a unique opportunity for younger or less experienced individuals to advance in their career. For entrepreneurs, a business mentor can mean the difference between a successful and unsuccessful venture. Mentors can provide feedback on different ideas and help entrepreneurs identify problems or mistakes, generally removing much of the uncertainty of starting and growing a business. These connections also help expand information access for younger generations as mentors teach their mentees insider knowledge and insight for their industry.2 Mentors and mentees can be matched by formal mentorship programs, such as those run by a workplace or non-profit organization, or through personal connections.