OSCE launches project to promote mentor networks for women’s empowerment

An OSCE project to establish “mentor networks” to help women help each other to participate in political, economic and social life and achieve equality started with a training course in Belgrade on 26 and 27 February 2013.

Fifteen NGO representatives and OSCE gender focal points took part in the training, which will enable them to establish gender networks in five pilot locations with OSCE field operations, namely Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Kyrgyzstan and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. Serbia, which has a continuing mentoring project, as well as OSCE offices in Armenia and Uzbekistan, will also be involved in the project.

“Mentoring relationships are a powerful tool for helping to overcome obstacles to women’s empowerment and full inclusion in politics, business and society,” said Kristen Cordell, OSCE Adviser on Gender Issues and manager of the project. “Mentor networks will provide not only professional networking opportunities but counselling, guidance, instruction and sponsorship, which can to help women overcome isolation and pool their efforts more effectively.”

The two-day course was hosted by OSCE Gender Section alongside partner organization the Danish Center for Research and Information on Gender, Equality and Diversity (KVINFO).

At the training course, representatives from local NGO European Movement recounted their experiences with establishing networks, while KVINFO, which has helped to match some 6,000 women from 135 nationalities in mentor networks, presented a methodology for establishing new networks in the OSCE region.