On November 24, Dones Mentores participated in the SER Catalunya radio programme “El Balcón”, led by Anna Puigboltas, to explain the impact of mentoring as a tool for support, autonomy, and recovery for women who have suffered gender-based violence.
We are truly grateful to Mariana and Arantxa, who shared their experiences within our mentoring network. Mariana explained that she came to our association at a vulnerable time, but her mentor “was the light I needed.” Today, four years later, she is the one supporting other women: “I look in the mirror and see the strong woman I once was.”
Arantxa, a mentor for two years, supports a woman “who is an extraordinarily powerful, sensitive, and empathetic person.” She emphasized that mentoring is an equal and reciprocal relationship: through support, both women grow.
Our director, Lores López, emphasized that mentoring is not tutoring or guardianship, but rather a temporary support programme that begins by asking the mentees what they need. Mentoring pairs last between nine months and a year and a half, and are always structured with respect, autonomy, and without infantilizing women. She recalled the origins of the association and the growth of our network: currently, there are 250 women ready to be mentors.
Dones Mentores encourages all women who wish to join us as mentors—of any age or background—as well as those who need support, to contact us through our website, where it is also possible to contribute by making a donation to strengthen the project.