A mentor at Dones Mentores is a reference figure for another woman with whom she spends time. She is not more knowledgeable, nor does she have more experience: she is a woman with a different life experience. Having experienced a situation of sexist violence yourself is not a requirement: you just need to care about equity and gender equality.

At Dones Mentores we do not do the work of the Administration, we work in coordination: we complement the work of the professionals in the women’s support services. A mentor at Dones Mentores is essentially a woman with social sensibility, concerned about equality and who wants to contribute part of her time to accompany another woman in her exit out of sexist violence. A mentor is an activist for equality.

The process to become part of our mentor network is simple. If you want to know more, let us contact you:  we will set up a simple personal interview (face-to-face or online) to get to know each other. We will explain in detail our method and how to participate and provide you with all the necessary training so that you can be part of the network. Since it is a voluntary activity, you can set the boundaries of your own commitment.

Each case is personal and different. We know that Dones Mentores would be your first mentoring experience, and that therefore you may have many questions. That’s why you won’t be alone at any time: the Dones Mentores team will accompany you so that you can participate safely and with all the information at every moment of the process. It’s simpler than it seems.

The mentor is another figure in the response system against male violence. At Dones Mentores we do not work in isolation, but with women’s support services: with lawyers, psychologists, social workers, educators; in short, we act in a responsible, coordinated and supervised manner.

Depending on each case, the process can range from 9 to 18 months. We generally do not mentor for more than 12 months. The maximum times are established by our team: we are responsible for proposing and completing the closures.

Time, empathy, leisure, trust, activities. Our professional team sets goals to work with the mentored woman and with you. Each case is different, but most mentorships have to do with “social restitution” processes. In essence, you will provide a healthy peer-to-peer context and contribute your time, so that a woman who is going through a difficult process feels supported, not judged, safe, and treated as an equal. We will give you more details during the mentoring training.

The commitment you acquire is not very time-consuming. Meetings are scheduled between mentor and mentee: they take place during your leisure time and are agreed between you. We generally expect you to see each other regularly, 3 or 4 times a month. Encounters can be of variable duration, depending on what activity you engage in and on what you both decide. The programme requires a meeting at least twice a month. We will give you more details during the mentoring training.

The Dones Mentores team. From the very moment of the mentoring assignment, we will onboard you to our Tellfy app. This is a secure instant messaging system where you can communicate with us at all times. We will also follow up by phone and/or in person. We will facilitate training sessions and best practice meetings where you can meet other women who have been mentored or who are currently in a mentoring relationship.

By taking on the mentor role, you embark on a journey of shared growth. You accompany a woman on her way to independence and to a life free of violence. It can be very enriching; you will acquire a deeper understanding of yourself and your position in society as a woman, of the challenges that women face, and of the impact you can have on your community. Our mentoring is a two-way street where learning and mutual development form a lasting legacy of personal growth.