Nurturing empowered scholars: A student perspective on contemporary feminist mentorship

TL;DR

This paper discusses how feminist mentorship in academia helps students grow by being inclusive and supportive, based on the experiences of four PhD students.

Contribution

The paper offers a student-centered perspective on feminist mentorship and provides practical recommendations for supporting emerging feminist scholars.

Findings

Feminist mentorship is inclusive, intersectional, and responsive to diverse student backgrounds.

Feminist mentors empower students to advocate for themselves and support their academic success.

Recommendations include networking, funding pursuit, and community-based advocacy support.

Abstract

In this collaborative commentary, four PhD students in a feminist psychology research lab present a student-focused perspective on the importance of feminist mentorship within academia. We define feminist mentorship as inclusive, intersectional, and responsive to our differing backgrounds and experiences. Feminist mentoring aims to deconstruct traditional understandings of power in academic spaces. Feminist mentorship has profoundly shaped our educational journeys and feminist identities, highlighting the crucial role of diverse mentorship from the start of a student's academic career. Essential for graduate student success in competitive and often isolating academic environments, feminist mentors support emerging feminists, advocate students’ interests, and empower them to advocate for themselves. Having laid the foundation for inclusive and dynamic feminist mentorship, we look ahead to future challenges and opportunities for students and mentors. Drawing from our experiences, we offer recommendations on how to best support emerging feminist scholars. This involves connecting with other feminists for networking and collaboration, actively seeking funding opportunities, and providing support and guidance for community-based advocacy. Our collective perspective highlights the essential role of feminist mentoring. We advocate a continued focus on enhancing and prioritizing feminist mentorship in academia and acknowledging its significant influence on the growth of empowered scholars.

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