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Voices of Muslim Women Official Mentorship Program Launches

9-10-2019

This September, I'll be studying social justice at UBC and confidently exploring my career paths. Before Aisha had started mentoring me, I was a grade nine student who had only the slightest idea of what I was going to do with my future. At the time I would rather watch the same TV shows on repeat rather than working on my skills as a writer.

 

Aisha, the founder and Executive Director of Voices of Muslim Women had taken me under her wing and started to help me develop my passion for social justice advocacy and building up my writing skills.

 

She did this by giving me lots of advice about my interest in journalism, connecting me to others in my profession and by pushing me out of my comfort zone and telling me to take charge and just write, she helped build up my writing skills making me the confident writer that I am today. 

 

The mentorship I had been given drove me to try and do the best I can and try my hardest to make a difference in the world and now 4 years later I am on track to go to UBC to study Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Social Justice to pursue my dreams of becoming a women’s rights journalist. Through this program, Muslim women gain support and learn about communication, accountability, and strategic growth. 

 

NOW, is when Muslim women need to connect with each other to collectively break barriers for all women and girls.

 

The Voices of Muslim Women (VMW) mentorship program encourages young women to take charge of their future and have experienced women who are professionals in their field mentor them. This program connects driven women with professional women into a 2-3 month one on one professional development and educational mentorship journey.

 

Ayesha Ali, VMW Mentorship Coordinator explains “the foundation of this relationship is professional support and development, but we hope this journey forms lifelong friendships as well. The lack of access to a relatable mentor can be the major factor in why a Muslim woman is unable to grow to their full potential”. This mentorship helps young women grow and develop their own passions and core interests into what could be long-standing careers. 

 

Mentorship is defined as “the activity of giving a younger or less experienced person help and advice over a period of time”. Although this summer was the first cohort of an official Mentorship program, VMW has an excellent track record of mentoring unofficially through how they operate forming a sisterhood and mentorship program organically. 

 

I myself can attest to how much mentorship has impacted me because I'm no longer confused sitting in front of the TV, I am actively pursuing what lights me up and impacts the world around me.

 

 

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Article Source: ALAMEENPOST.COM