A mentorship program by Women of Colour for Women of Colour
The WoCMentorWoC program is a nurturing, authentic, and inclusive experience aimed to support Women of Colour in their journeys through predominantly White professional spaces.
It honours the unique and distinct challenges faced by Women of Colour and provides a safe space to navigate them through the power of mentorship and community.
It recognises the value of having mentors who have experienced similar challenges and can offer guidance, encouragement, and validation.
The program fosters an environment of empathy and empowerment, helping Women of Colour feel valued, respected, and heard.
Background
The WoCMentorWoC Program is a fully funded, no-cost-to-participants, online, six-month-long mentorship program supporting the personal and professional development of Women of Colour across Australia.
The program is a blend of peer coaching and one-on-one mentoring, with each month centered around a specific topic that is explored from diverse angles.
At the heart of the WoCMentorWoC Program are self-governed and group-powered mentor and mentee circles, where Women of Colour come together to engage in meaningful conversations, build connections, and offer each other valuable advice. These circles create a powerful network of support, empowering participants to take charge of their careers and become advocates for themselves and their communities.
Month 1 - February 2024
Theme - Mentoring and Community Building
> Who are we?
> What makes a good mentoring relationship?
> What are our individual and collective hopes and learning goals for this journey?
Circle dates: February 27 & 28
Month 2 - March 2024
Theme - Your Story
> What has shaped your life/career journey?
> What are the identities you live/carry?
> How do your identities and life experiences influence the way you show up in work/life?
> What lessons have you learned along the way?
Circle dates: March 26 & 27
Month 3 - April 2024
Theme - Resilience and Self Care
> How are you looking after yourself and building your resilience?
> What do you find challenging in building/feeling resilience?
> What do you need to do build your own resilience and self-care practices?
Circle dates: April 16 & 17
Month 4 - May 2024
Theme - Building Networks
> What does your support network look like?
> What lessons have you learned about what it takes to build and sustain supportive relationships and networks?
> What gets in your way when it comes to building dynamic and mutually supportive networks?
Circle dates: May 28 & 29
Month 5 - June 2024
Theme - Future Possible Selves
> What are your values, strengths and dreams?
> What are the other “possible lives” you could have chosen/lived in your life?
> What have you learned about yourself and how to navigate new and different identities/pathways?
Circle dates: June 11 & 12
Month 6 - July 2024
Theme - Reflecting on the Journey
> How has the journey been for you?
> What appreciation and hopes do you have for others in the group?
> Where to from here?
Circle dates: July 2 & 3
Format
Kick off and Closing - to be facilitated by a WoCA-provided coach.
Mentor Hour - ideally held after monthly mentor and mentee circles. The timing, length, and location agreed upon by the mentor/mentee.
Mentor Circles and Mentee Circles - mentors are grouped with mentors and mentees are grouped with mentees. Participants stay within the same circle throughout the program. Circles are self-facilitated with detailed written guides provided by WoCA. Circles will meet each month before the 1:1 mentor/mentee meeting. The Circles are designed to encourage individual and collective reflection and learning, which in turn will enrich 1:1 mentoring conversations. There may be individual pre-work in the form of readings/videos and self-reflection prior to Circle meetings.
Theme for the month - slight variations in how themes will be explored in mentor vs mentee circles.
MENTEES
MENTORS
Frequently asked questions
Wondering how the program works?
Dive into our FAQ for more details
For more information, email us wocmentorwoc@womenofcolour.org.au
When does the EOI close?
The EOIs will close EOD, Sunday 10th December 2023How much is the program fee?
With thanks to our Sponsor, Bank Australia, Women of Colour Australia is able to offer the Program at no-cost. We do ask you to consider donating to our WoC Harm Prevention Fund so we can continue the important work that we do. Donate here.Is there a cap on the number of program participants?
Yes, there is. To ensure meaningful engagement, the maximum number is capped at 40 participants; 20 mentees, and 20 mentors.How do the mentee and mentor circles work?
There are 4 mentee circles and 4 mentor circles. Each circle will have 5 participants in it. All participants stay within the same circle throughout the program.How long is the program?
The entire program will run for six months from February 2024 to July 2024.How long are the sessions for?
- 1 hour one on one mentoring session x 6 months- 75 minutes mentor circles x 6 months
- 75 minutes mentee circles x 6 months
When do I find out if I got accepted to the program?
We will send Acceptance Letters around late January 2024 to early February 2024.
We exist to champion Australia’s Women of Colour through program of educations, community support initiatives, and advocacy work.
ORIGIN OF THE PHRASE "WOMEN OF COLOR"
"Women of Color is not a biological designation. It is a solidarity definition. A commitment to work in collaboration with other oppressed women of color who have been minoritized. It is a term that has a lot of power." Loretta Ross
WOMEN DEFINITION
Women - Transgender and cisgender, all those who experience or have experienced oppression as women, including non-binary and gender non-conforming people and all those who identify as women. Self-definition is at the discretion of the individual.
Definition credit: wire.org.au
WOMEN OF COLOUR LTD ACN 643 518 576 ABN 17 643 518 576 is an Australian Public Company Limited by Guarantee. We are a registered charity with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC). We have Deductible Gift Recipient status and operate the WoC Harm Prevention Fund. Gifts to the Fund may be deductible.
Copyright 2023 All Rights Reserved
The WOMEN OF COLOUR AUSTRALIA logo is a Registered Trademark of WOMEN OF COLOUR LTD.
We acknowledge the Wallumattagal clan of the Darug nation as the Traditional Custodians of the land upon which Women of Colour Australia is situated. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present. We acknowledge and honour the strength and resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women with whom we stand in solidarity. We acknowledge that as settlers on this stolen Aboriginal land, we are beneficiaries of the dispossession, genocide, and ongoing colonial violence against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We believe that it is our collective responsibility and moral imperative to help dismantle the structural inequities and systemic barriers oppressing the original inhabitants of this land. We are also painfully aware that the land was taken forcibly, without a Treaty or reparations made. We have taken a practical step towards honouring sovereignty by paying the rent – and we invite you to do so too. This land is and always will be Aboriginal land. Sovereignty was never ceded.