Abstract:

In the context of low representation and challenges and retention of women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields, particularly in doctoral programs, academic mentoring represents a strategy and an opportunity to strengthen the professional identity of doctoral students who have participated as mentees in academic mentoring processes, as well as to support their continued education.

This study analyzes the academic mentoring experience of three female doctoral students who participated as mentees in the Mentoring in Action Program—an online program for women and girls in STEM organized by the British Council, an international organization for cultural relations and educational opportunities between the United Kingdom and other countries around the world, which connected female doctoral students in STEM fields with researchers who are part of Mexico's National System of Researchers (SNII) and research institutions in other countries. The aim was to describe what this experience meant to them and how it has influenced their academic and professional trajectories.

Through a narrative analysis of their life stories, using a qualitative approach based on in-depth interviews, the study addresses expectations and motivation toward mentoring; obstacles, tensions, and gender stereotypes; and the lessons learned and meanings constructed by mentees, as well as the impact of this experience on their academic, professional, and personal trajectories.

The study's findings indicate that the mentoring experience transcended academic support and became a space for symbolic validation as women scientists. Tensions related to gender stereotypes, discrimination, and institutional inequalities also emerged, with mentoring helping to bridge these gaps, although it is recognized that there is still a long way to go to achieve equality for women in STEM fields.

Keywords:

Academic mentoring, Women in STEM, Doctoral education.