'Girls are making gendered career choices from young ages and we need to inspire them'
A Devon-based female mentoring scheme is looking for volunteers to help expand
A scheme - working to break down stereotypes and inspire young women - is now being expanded across Devon
In the past year hundreds of 14 year olds from 14 schools have worked with local female mentors – who believe girls can be making gendered-influenced career choices from an early age.
Sarah Abrahams is a business owner and mentor who is appealing for more women to join the scheme, saying: “When children are around 11 they start de-selecting careers based on gender and research shows a way to make a difference is by injecting role models.
“Girls tend to get higher degree grades but within a year the girls are earning nine per cent less on average and in 10 years it’s 31 per cent less.
“Business women talk about their own career journeys – where things have gone well and importantly where they haven’t and then how they navigated that and built resilience in order to be able to have great careers.
“Girls have said to us, in the past, they had a bit of an idea what they wanted to do but after the mentoring it completely changed tact - but more importantly they knew what they had to do, what their options were and it was down to them. It’s very much about supporting their confidence.”
The award-nominated programme pairs female mentors with secondary school girls to build confidence, raise aspirations, and break down gender stereotypes around future careers.
Over the past year, the programme has supported more than 140 girls across 14 schools in Exeter, Plymouth and Torbay, with demand continuing to grow. A spokesperson added: "Mentors commit to meeting with a student for regular one-to-one sessions during the academic year, discussing everything from career options to building resilience and tackling challenges.
"The minimum commitment is six sessions over a term with one girl. No previous mentoring experience is required - just a willingness to listen, share experiences, and support a young person’s journey."
Any women in Devon - particularly in Exeter or Plymouth - who wants to find out more should email [email protected]