Mentoring Young Girls and Women in the Global South – Learnings from the Mentoring Summit in India

How can mentoring help girls and young women in the Global South overcome gendered expectations and social barriers to realize their aspirations? What does it take to design mentoring programs that are rooted in empathy, local context, and structural understanding? In this learning exchange, Echidna Global Scholars draws on powerful insights from the Mentoring Summit India, a convening of practitioners, researchers, youth leaders, and policymakers committed to advancing mentoring as a tool for gender equity and youth development. Building on themes explored in the Summit, the session explored how mentoring can create space for possibility, voice, and agency. Key themes include: Designing mentoring programs that are gender-responsive and contextually grounded Insights for policy, philanthropy, and practice across Global South contexts This session is led by Arundhuti Gupta (Founder Trustee and CEO of Mentor Together), Christine Apiot Okudi (Doctoral Student), Tran Thi Ngoc Tran (Co-founder and Co-Director of For Good Vietnam Network) and Anusha Bharadwaj (Founder and Strategic Advisor, Voice 4 Girls).