Inaugural Franklin Women mentoring program kicks off

August 2017

UNSW Medicine is supporting two staff from the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) to participate in the inaugural Franklin Women mentoring program.  Professor Anthony Shakeshaft will be a mentor to women from other institutes in the program and Dr Louise Mewton was selected as a mentee.

The program, which was launched in June, will see 12 institutes and 54 mentor-mentee pairs come together to complete a structured 6-month program. It aims to support high-potential women in health and medical research careers to progress into leadership positions, retaining their skill in the sector.

UNSW has partnered on the program as part of the Faculty’s commitment to the UNSW Equity, Diversity and Inclusion agenda in the UNSW 2025 strategy. Participation in training and development initiatives at faculty level, university level and within the sector are key components of Medicine’s gender equity plan, which aims to help UNSW Medicine reach the target of 50% women at Associate Professor and Professor level by 2025.

The Franklin Women Mentoring Program not only supports mid-career women to move into more senior roles but provides mentors with the opportunity to develop their inclusive leadership skills.