MENTOR NETWERK

About the mentor netwerk

The ‘Vote for a Woman Mentor Network’ is a party-wide network of female political aspirants and politicians. In the mentor network, girls and women who are hesitant about becoming politically active, or who already have concrete political interests and ambition, are linked to female politicians. We also offer mentorship for politicians who have been active for less than two years. Furthermore, Vote for a Woman offers participants skills training, for example in applying for jobs, debating and personal profiling.

Table of contents

"I now have a better understanding of the ways in which I can prepare for candidacy: by participating in political activities and making myself visible."

Anke Koopmann
Former participant of a Mentor netwerk

How can you participate?

n 2023, Vote for a Woman will organize two mentor networks: the ‘Candidate for Europe’ network and the ‘Newly Elected Women’ network. You can still sign up for the Newly Chosen Women Network. Below you will find more information per network.

"I have expanded my political network, I know better which political roles there are and which ones suit me. And I have learned a lot about myself."

Funda Ileri
Former participant of a Mentor netwerk

Origins and successes

The ‘Vote for a Woman Mentor Network’ was founded in early 2020, in the middle of the corona pandemic. It started from the desire to ensure that female aspirants and politicians could still get in touch with each other during the period of lockdown, now that this was physically impossible. This is how the idea of ​​an online mentor network was born. With this first class, more than 100 women and girls with political aspirations applied, and luckily we also managed to find 100 politically active women who wanted to be mentors. Thus the first mentor network was born. The success even then lay in the low threshold of the network: there are no requirements for participants except sincere interest, and meeting online also ensures that mentors with busy jobs could still do it alongside their work.

From BIJ1 to VVD, from SP to CDA, the network is cross-party and above all effective: 500 people have already taken part in this network, about 65% of whom have become politically active. For example, they became members of a political party, part of a committee and ran for office as a member of parliament. You will find former participants of the mentor network in various municipal councils, water boards, provinces and in the House of Representatives.

So far, the following editions of the mentor network have been organized:

  • Mentor network Women and girls with political aspirations and doubts (2020), 100 mentees and 100 mentors;
  • Mentor network Women and girls with aspirations and doubts (2021), 50 mentees and 50 mentors;
  • Mentor Network Candidate for the Council (2021), 50 mentees and 50 mentors;
  • Mentor Network Candidate for the Region (2022), 15 mentees and 15 mentors.