Navigating the Leaky Pipeline: Empowering Women in STEM through Mentorship

Mentoring plays a crucial role in shaping successful careers—a support I was fortunate to receive from other women early in my biotechnology career. Having navigated the leaky pipeline for women in STEM (1), I felt compelled to contribute to closing this gap. In 2022, I came across an opportunity to receive mentor training through the British Council Mentoring Program (2), which I eagerly enrolled in.

Among other soft skills, the program trained me in active listening so that I could help others reflect on their own goals. I learned how to develop and follow strategic plans focused on set smart goals (3). More importantly, I gained essential soft skills to confront inner obstacles, particularly those rooted in gender bias within academic environments. At the same time, I reflected on my own challenges: impostor syndrome (4) and the relentless need to prove my worth had drained me for years, keeping me in a defensive stance during the early stages of my career. Balancing these challenges while starting a family and navigating my roles as a researcher, wife, and mother often left me wondering how I could have managed my energy more effectively.

During the training program, I strengthened mentoring skills by observing and learning from remarkable female scientists who provided powerful examples of resilience and success in a competitive world. Their mentorship, combined with the structured guidance from the program, helped me understand and overcome the internal barriers that had held me back. Through workshops, peer discussions, and one-on-one mentoring, I developed tools to manage impostor syndrome, assert my worth, and balance my professional and personal roles more effectively. 

Programs like these are instrumental in helping women build confidence and resilience in their careers, offering a supportive environment where mentees can seek advice, share experiences, and develop strategies to overcome obstacles.

My experience as a woman in academia fueled my desire to help others. The mentoring program equipped me not only with technical know-how but also with insights into the nuanced challenges faced by women in STEM. It provided me with tools to guide mentees through academic and professional hurdles, fostering their personal and professional growth. Programs like these are instrumental in helping women build confidence and resilience in their careers, offering a supportive environment where mentees can seek advice, share experiences, and develop strategies to overcome obstacles. Moreover, they emphasize the importance of role models, demonstrating that success in STEM is attainable, and inspiring the next generation of female scientists.

The impact of mentoring extends far beyond the individual; it significantly benefits the broader scientific community, particularly in Mexico. By empowering women through mentorship, we foster a more diverse and inclusive scientific landscape. Mentoring young women from diverse backgrounds has broadened my perspectives and deepened my empathy for the unique challenges faced by the new generation of scientists (5). For instance, mentoring a young woman who was the first in her family and community to attend graduate school opened my eyes to the financial struggles she faced—like affording lab materials or attending conferences—while raising two infants in a non-urban area. This experience heightened my awareness of the socioeconomic barriers that can hinder talented individuals from pursuing scientific careers.

Through mentoring, I’ve connected with passionate young women committed to driving change, such as those empowering local communities with ecological knowledge to foster coexistence with wildlife. However, these women often face significant challenges, like securing stable positions and achieving tenure. Recognizing these obstacles, I’ve made it a priority to connect my mentees with scholarships and funding opportunities, actively sharing resources with collaborators in the early stages of their scientific careers.

I would also like to share that a postdoc collaborator and three grad students in my research group have participated in this same program, benefiting from the mentorship of established women scientists across Mexico. As their supervisor, I’ve seen firsthand how this experience has helped them mature, set their own goals, and become more aware of their abilities through their scientific projects. It’s a privilege to continue supporting these young scientists as they navigate their careers and work to close the gaps in the pipeline.

In conclusion, mentoring women in STEM is not just about providing guidance, especially in resource-limited settings. It's about nurturing a more diverse and resilient scientific community. When women succeed in STEM, they not only break barriers but also become catalysts for change, mentoring others and fostering a continuous cycle of growth and inclusion. This interconnected ecosystem strengthens individual lives and propels scientific advancement, benefiting society as a whole. I am honored and proud to be part of this transformative journey, fostering a future where women in STEM thrive and lead.

References:

1. Gregor, M., Dunn, M., Campbell-Halfaker, D., Martin-Fernandez, J., Ferrer, A., & Robinson, S. (2023). Plugging the Leaky Pipeline:A Qualitative Investigation of Untenured Female Faculty in STEM. Journal of Career Development, 50(2), 425-444. https://doi.org/10.1177/08948453221101588
2. British Council Mentoring Program.
3. Latham, G. (2020). Goal setting: A five-step approach to behavior change. In Organizational collaboration (pp. 10-20). Routledge.
4. Paterson, R., Vincent-Akpu, I.F. (2022). Impostor Syndrome with Women in Science. In: Nwaichi, E.O. (eds) Science by Women. Women in Engineering and Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-83032-8_7
5. Quiroz-Compeán, G., de la Torre-Zavala, S., & Villa-Cedillo, S. A. (2023). Mentorías para mujeres STEM: una propuesta para reducir la brecha de género. Revista Ciencia UANL, 26(121), 20-35.  https://doi.org/10.29105/cienciauanl26.121-2

Disclaimer:

“The author used ChatGPT 4o, on August 28th, 2024 to revise this publication. After using this tool, the author checked the work to ensure accuracy and are fully responsible for the content of the publication.”