The lack of initiatives that promote women's growth from the beginning of their careers is one of the many challenges faced by professionals. In addition to creating opportunities for their entry into companies, it is crucial to develop projects that ensure their advancement to strategic and leadership positions. Many companies have found mentorships to be a positive solution for this process. "Many women do not believe they have the same promotion opportunities as men, even with the same level of qualification. Therefore, we believe that offering programs like these is essential to boost their careers, build relationships with their mentors, and understand their strengths and areas for improvement," comments Tania Mior Botemberger, the Group's Attraction and Inclusion Coordinator.
Developed to acquire technical knowledge and promote personal and professional development, business mentoring helps improve skills, exchange experiences, and accelerate career growth. When applied to gender issues, the perspective becomes more analytical, bringing specific questions to the analyses. "When we talk about a program aimed solely at the female audience, we need to understand and embrace their needs and challenges in order to put it into practice with the implementation of more assertive actions that recognize the obstacles that arise in the work environment for those who are part of diversity," explains Tania.
Female leadership mentoring
Since 2014, the Marista Group has been developing the Mentoring Program, focused on three fundamental axes: Evolution, Purpose, and Management. Over the years, the initiative has evolved significantly, with process automation in 2021 and the integration of all mission fronts by 2023, involving collaborators from PUCPR, FTD Educação, as well as São Marcelino Champagnat and Universitário Cajuru hospitals. This year, the institution decided to focus on gender issues, launching Mentoring for women for the first time.
“The mentoring program aims to support women who are interested in developing their careers in other areas, ensuring their advancement in strategic and leadership positions. Our idea is also to address other issues such as race and inclusion, with plans to launch future mentoring programs for black and brown employees and people with disabilities (PwD),” says Ana Nogueira, Organizational Development consultant at Grupo Marista.
Aimed at women seeking internal career transitions, career changes, or professional advancement, the mentoring program is structured into three subdivisions: motherhood and career, self-esteem and professional confidence, and female leadership and its challenges. According to Ana, after an internal listening program to identify priority needs, the institution recognized the importance of an initiative aimed at developing women's careers.
A survey conducted by IBGE this year showed that among graduates in face-to-face undergraduate courses, 60.3% were women, while 39.7% were men. "The fact that women dedicate more to studies, prepare themselves more, and empower themselves, but this is not always reflected in the job market, was one of the points we analyzed and is a reality we want to change," emphasizes Ana.
One of the selected mentors was Jaqueline Alves, the Business Partner manager for the São Marcelino Champagnat and Universitário Cajuru hospitals, from the health division of the Marista Group. The professional has dedicated their time to mentoring practices, including those aimed at women, and highlights the significant benefits of this activity. "The greatest of all advantages, without a doubt, is self-knowledge. The mentor's role is to facilitate the path for mentees, and for those being guided, it is essential to know that they can rely on someone's experience," he states.
The manager, who has been working at the institution for eight years, is starting this new phase of the program for women, also considers the gender issues involved in this mentoring model, ensuring that identification with situations experienced by other women can bring empowerment. "Any type of mentorship is valuable, but mentorships aimed at women can offer more advantages. If you are a mentee and are experiencing situations similar to those your mentor has already experienced, such as motherhood, for example, this becomes a significant advantage," she explains.
