Yaaya Asked ...

Yaaya asks:

Who do you consider to be
your mentor or role model?

Ona (Facebook):

My Mom - Pedigree, Stickability, Resilience, Beauty, Love and Grace.... She defied gravity!

Noel (Facebook):

I know where I want to be and how I want it to be, therefore like a chameleon, I sponge myself from friends, family and people with good minds and hearts. Genuine minds shape my path and honest hearts guide my direction

Obiocha (Facebook):

My father. He laid the foundation that others have built upon. He inspired me to aspire to greatness.

Loretta (Facebook):

It’s difficult to pick only one, as I have multiple mentors and role models. Some of them I know personally, others are strangers, but their actions, beliefs, and attitude have set positive examples for me to follow. In this sense, I don't believe a role model or mentor have to be people you know, or have interacted with. That said however, role models and mentors are often people we know and connect with. My earliest role models are both my parents. My Dad for his generosity, principled and supportive nature, belief in my ability, and enthusiasm for education, learning and development. My Mum is also a role model as she has taught me to be kind and empathetic to everyone, she has set an example of how to be a brilliant working mum, and emphasised the importance of patience in one's life.

---

Mentors and role models are instrumental individuals in people’s lives; offering direction, guidance, support and encouragement. For anybody, such relationships represent important bonds, in either professional, personal or academic environments. As the responses we have received to this ‘question of the week’ highlight, role models and mentors are often those who are close to us (parents, extended family and friends) and also those who we admire. In addition, they do not necessarily have to be people we personally know, but rather individuals who we believe have set (and continue to set) positive and/or inspirational examples, and who we consider to be a wealth of knowledge.

For women in particular, role models and mentors can provide much needed encouragement and confidence to thrive in hostile environments, pursue difficult endeavours, and challenge stereotypes. This is particularly important in the context of the under-representation of women executives in FTSE 100 companies and top government positions, the lack of women in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) careers, and the prevalence of harmful sexist stereotypes.

Yaaya believes that mentors and role models are imperative to developing confident, ambitious and successful women and girls. This is why we feature inspirational interviews of women from different walks of life, across diverse industry sectors, and run the She is Yaaya series. By doing this, we believe we can inspire black women in Europe to achieve their dreams, with unshakeable confidence and belief.