Webinar recap: The importance of mentorship in supporting and challenging gender stereotypes

On August 7, 2025, the Foundation for Management and Industrial Research successfully held the webinar “The importance of mentorship in supporting and challenging gender stereotypes”, the second in the series of NIH webinars within the STREAM IT project. This webinar was aimed at educational and research institutions, non-governmental organizations, and all girls and young women interested in careers in the STE(A)M fields.

The webinar provided insight into the power of mentorship as a key tool for personal development, professional advancement, and as a mechanism for addressing gender inequality. By sharing good practices in education, the event highlighted ways in which we can build a more just and inclusive society.

Topics Covered in the webinar:

• Mentorship as a tool for personal and professional development – The significance of mentoring support in building self-confidence, developing skills, and overcoming the challenges faced by girls and young women
• The importance of youth participation in the fight against gender prejudice – Countering gender stereotypes, as well as a discussion of activities that encourage young people to be part of the changes for a society in which every individual will have equal opportunities
• Good practices in education – Everyday examples that served as proof that with an active approach to supporting and motivating girls, positive changes are possible

Our guest speaker was Teodora Mileska, a project officer at the Stella Network, who with her experience in activism managed to motivate and encourage participants to actively engage in the fight against gender barriers.

Filled with good practices, personal experiences, and inspiring examples, the webinar clearly showed how mentorship and support can open the doors to countless opportunities. The participants left motivated and encouraged, with a vision of how gender barriers in science and technology can be overcome together, building a future in which talent and dedication are the only measures of success.

The Foundation for Management and Industrial Research remains firmly committed to promoting gender equality and inclusion across all sectors and is already working on new activities that will contribute to fulfilling this important mission.

In case you missed the webinar, you can watch the recording here: https://youtu.be/AxfiFX69Bvs?si=Zt_Gu6ZcJcbV4NSf