Mentoring other women have been identified as the ingredient for building the capacity of women in the workforce to be able to attain the peak of their careers in life.

This was disclosed by the Procurement Manager, Radisson Blu, Olalonpe Atunrase, during the just-concluded Vanguard International Women’s Day held in Lagos.

According to her: “Every woman must be mentored. You must have someone you are looking up to or the person is looking up to you.

Mentoring women build their social capital relationships that people develop that allows them to get their work done, and it’s increasingly important for women as they rise in an organisation’s hierarchy into leadership roles, particularly if it is assumed that the environment is a male-dominated one which makes it more challenging for women to develop the social capital they need to be successful and move up.

Therefore, the role of a mentor in this regard is to be a catalyst in helping them build those important relationships

READ ALSO: Govt has not given up on rescue of Chibok girls, says Farouq

She also explained that mentoring helps women access the feedback they need to develop and fill the critical information gap by providing feedback to mentees.

“The role of a mentor is to advise, provide feedback and act as a sounding board for the mentee. In contrast, a sponsor advocate for the mentee by arranging special developmental assignments, helping the mentee get an important job interview, or otherwise champions the mentee in order to help her advance in her career.

“Because leadership in organisations is still predominantly male, mentoring women is often critical for them to get sponsorship by those with influence in the organisation.

“Over time, increased mentoring of women tends to lead to more women in leadership roles, which tends to normalise mentoring and promoting women, among others. Once an organisation gets the ball rolling on mentoring women, that momentum is likely to continue and help women grow and advance in the future.

“In our organisation, we ensure quality mentorship. My advice for women is to practise what they preach. I tell women who are under my tutelage to aspire to be greater than me.

“What we stand by is integrity and we do not compromise that. We stand for quality and ensure that quality training is organised for members of staff.

“I see women rising to the managerial positions in our organisations which stand for equality. The women and men are equal, tenacious, and focused. Every woman should not shun training and re-training because it is the bedrock of attaining a greater height in life. I will advise every woman not to compromise, “You must believe, to bring your quality contributions to the table.

Vanguard News Nigeria