Mentoring and gender: a systematic review

Abstract

The incorporation of a gender perspective in scientific research and social intervention practices is essential, including in mentoring. While there are publications that address this issue, existing systematic reviews tend to focus on specific contexts and groups, rather than taking a general approach to introducing a gender perspective. This study aims to address the gap in research by analysing 405 articles that examine the gender variable in mentoring. The analysis is conducted from three perspectives: types of mentoring (formal/informal), mentor-mentee matching and a chronological perspective. The analysis is conducted through two main axes: equality-inequality and identity-diversity. The study suggests the importance of further research on gender and mentoring, specifically in the areas of matching and identifying gender barriers. Additionally, it highlights the need to incorporate a gender and intersectional perspective into mentoring research.

Keywords

• mentoring
• gender
• gender perspective
• literature review
• systemic review