A simple concept lies behind the succes of this programme, designed for immigrant women to gain access to the labour market.
Since 2003 KVINFO’s Mentor Network has matched women with refugee and immigrant background with women who are firmly established members of the Danish workforce. The parties are called mentees and mentors, and matching is based on mentee’s education, profession and personal wishes.
When KVINFO launched its mentoring network in 2003, just matching refugee/immigrant women with native Danish women seemed a startling task as the women seemingly had so little contact in everyday life. It was often inferred that the interest in meeting each other was non-existing. Today, KVINFO’s mentornetværk has more than 3300 participants and four offices that cover the major cities of the country.
The basic concept Through a one-on-one meeting of equals, mentors provide access to their professional networks, provide appropriate advice regarding job applications, job interviews, workplace culture, reassessment of job possibilities, etc. It is estimated that more than 50% of all job openings in Denmark are filled via personal networks. Networks are essential to gaining a foothold in Danish society.
Mentor and mentee meet approximately once a month. Together, the two parties draw up a contract and set specific goals to be accomplished within a fixed period of time, between 6 to 12 months.
By participating in KVINFO’s Mentor Network, participants also gain access to a varied and dynamic network made up of a host of different women from all over the world, who have a wide array of educational and occupational backgrounds.
Support and exchange of mentor/mentee experiences KVINFO’s Mentor Network offers frequent informal meetings, as well as workshops for all participants. Participants are able to benefit from each other’s experiences and draw inspiration from informal as well as professional lecturers.
Who can become a mentee? Women, regardless of educational background, vocational training or age, who are either immigrants, refugees or Danes from an ethnic minority.
Why mentor networks? Immigrating to a new country is always challenging and often implies the acquisition of a new language, a break in ones professional carrier, a decline in social and sometimes economic status, and acquirement of knowledge about the ways of the new society. Mentor can be the key for mentee to gaining access to the Danish labour market and Danish society in general.
Mentors, on the other hand, are often motivated by a wish to contributing to the integration processes on a one-on-one basis and achieving knowledge and insight into the obstacles and challenges that citizens with ethnic minority background meet. Through a mentoring relation, mentor gets to put her experience to new use and hence gain new insights and perspectives on her own life and carrier.
As one mentor has put it:
“I think it is a waste of human resources that so many people arriving in this country with good educations are simply marginalised. I can make a difference with my network and contacts, and my “list of friends” isn’t closed either”.
KVINFO’s Mentor Network is funded by The Ministry of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs. KVINFO is the Danish Centre for Research on Women and Gender. The primary goal of the centre is to inform the general public of the results of women’s studies and gender research in Denmark and internationally. KVINFO is a grant-maintained self-governing institution under the Ministry of Culture.
