Women of Colour Australia (WoCA), an Australian not-for-profit organisation advocating for the advancement of Women of Colour through tailored education programs, community support initiatives, and advocacy work, today announced Australia’s first mentorship program designed and delivered by Women of Colour, for Women of Colour.
Backed by Bank Australia, the program aims to support Women of Colour and help them thrive in their careers by enhancing their skills, expanding their networks and providing them with a safe sounding board for advice and recommendations.
In partnership with Aboriginal Insights, a leading provider of cultural awareness training as well as Hue:Colour the Conversation, a social justice organisation delivering training for People of Colour in Australia, WoCMentorWoC Program is a 6-months online mentorship program that will pair 20 Women of Colour in leadership positions across various industries to act as mentors with 20 Women of Colour aspiring to become leaders within the next few years, according to a press release.
The program’s bespoke curation of training and workshops for Women of Colour are built upon the learning and understanding of Aboriginal culture and history, brave conversations around the challenges and barriers faced by professional Women of Colour in the workplace and peer-to-peer insights and guidance on how to navigate, thrive and lead as Women of Colour in the professional sphere.
Brenda Gaddi, Founder and Managing Director, WoCA said, “When Women of Colour enter the corporate workplace, they know that on top of focusing on doing their job, they come up against additional challenges, barriers and constructs that stem from a history wrought with exclusion and segregation. It is time to change this narrative and through WoCMentorWoC Program we want to help Women of Colour step in their power as changemakers and transformational leaders.
The program offers a culturally and psychologically safe environment where Women of Colour can address the systemic challenges and structural barriers faced by professional Women of Colour in the workplace and provide them with the tools to overcome them and reach their full potential professionally and personally”.
As diversity in the workplace has become a top topic on various corporate agendas in the past couple of years, organisations across Australia are encouraged to nominate relevant employees who they believe could benefit from this program such as Women of Colour who are looking to grow, evolve, break free from oppressive mental mindsets and narratives to lead and succeed on their own terms, the release said.
Women of Colour in leadership positions are also invited to send in their expression of interest to act as mentors for the WoCMentorWoC Program to help others follow in their footsteps by sharing their knowledge, expertise, experiences and learnings with fellow Women of Colour who need guidance in advocating for themselves in predominantly White ethnocentric workplaces.
According to the Women of Colour in the Australian Workplace Survey, Women of Colour looking for career development and progression called out the need for mentorship opportunities by fellow Women of Colour who have shared similar experiences, to help them navigate the distinctive challenges at the intersection of gender and race in the context of a workplace.
“WoCA is so excited and proud to bring the WoCMentorWoC Program to Women of Colour in Australia. I strongly believe the impact of this program will be far reaching in supporting Women of Colour in their careers and allowing them to have big aspirations for their professional lives,” added Gaddi.
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.@WomenofColourAU (WoCA), an Australian not-for-profit organisation advocating for the advancement of Women of Colour, announced Australia’s first #mentorship program designed & delivered by Women of Colour, for Women of Colour. #TheIndianSunhttps://t.co/DZp7dKyAwf
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