Our Mentor Program

Mentorship helps foster a sense of community and solidarity and can be a powerful catalyst for professional growth. We are committed to supporting young women through mentorship opportunities because it can be especially powerful for women working in conservation, who often find themselves working in isolation or within male dominated spaces. The goal of our mentoring program is to help guide and nurture the next generation of conservation leaders by helping them gain invaluable insights into the world of conservation and forging lasting connections that transcend generations and borders.

We launched the inaugural class of our Mentorship Program in 2023. Our first class consisted of 15 mentors and 24 mentees - six from Kenya, three from Peru, six from Mexico, four from Nepal, and five from Nigeria. Mentors are WINN chapter leaders in the participating countries who share their experience and knowledge with young women in their countries who are emerging conservation leaders. The overall program is coordinated by Kenya chapter. Each country identifies a conservation issue and field-based activity to address it to work on together, and also takes part in joint virtual activities for all mentors and mentees across the globe. About her experience, 2023 Mentee Alice Gathe wrote: “It was an honor sharing my experience and view concerning Mentorship and it's impact on during the WiNN Global Conference. I am a product of mentorship! A great man once told me that: We Rise by Lifting others.I can't wait to see what the future looks like being a Mentee at WiNN.”