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Although it is true that the presence of young people within unions is becoming less and less, it is even more so in the case of young women. For this reason UNI Equal Opportunities with UNI Europa, UNI Europa Women and UNI Europa Youth, decided to adopt a work plan to fight this situation. It is called the Mentoring Program.



To work in a mentoring partnership means to create a long term working relationship between two colleagues: one with more experience in the international union scene, called a Mentor and a younger one, below the age of 35, the Mentee, who wants to learn from the experiences of her mentor and at the same time provide her with a younger, different approach.



Women union leaders and those on the way to become leaders themselves came from all over Europe (Hungary, Croatia, Poland, Greece, Spain, France, Belgium, Germany, Portugal and Austria), to work at the Opening Workshop. Colleagues from Italy and Ireland are also part of the program, although they were not able to make it to the workshop.



All of them signed an agreement to work in tandems for the next two years. The pairs of Mentor and Mentee will have to remain in periodic contact and assist together to international meetings or internal meetings of their unions, with the purpose of gaining and sharing experiences and points of view. They must have flexibility to be able to respond to the demands that might arise from their partnership, as well as from the directing group. They will be able to meet personally, by telephone or by e-mail, depending on the particular needs of each tandem, since some of them are made up of colleagues from different countries.



The new tandems will have the support of a directing group that will provide assistance in case conflicts or doubts arise. Mentors and Mentees agree to inform periodically the directing group of their activities.



The tandems also assumed the compromise of expanding the Mentoring Program in their unions as well as with other unions in their countries. This group of women, participants of the Opening Workshop of the Mentoring Program, will be the ones that will expand and disseminate the program so it can reach more young women and inspire them not only to join the unions, but to become union leaders themselves.



The Mentoring Program is supported by the UNI Equal Opportunities campaigns: “40for40” (www.40for40.org) and “That’s Why!” (www.uni-iwd.org) campaign, which supports new women leaders.



The Frederick Eberth Foundation is a sponsor of the project and provided us with their support for the development of the Opening Workshop.