About the Mentor Network

The Basic Concept 

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The mentoring relationship provides the opportunity for one-on-one meetings between mentee and mentor in which both parties are treated as equals. Mentor and mentee are paired up according to the mentee's educational and professional background and her personal wishes and goals. Built upon mutual respect and trust, the aim of the relationship is to assist the mentee in fully realizing her potential, in turn enabling her to progress successfully with her life in Denmark.

 

Four Offices

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Today, the network involves more than 3,300 participants based among four main offices. The first office was established by KVINFO in Copenhagen in 2002. The second opened at The Women’s Museum in Aarhus in 2004 covering both Aarhus and Ålborg. In 2005, a third office was established at Vindrosen, The House of Volunteer Workers, in Esbjerg. This office covers the town of Varde, too. Since October 2008, the office in Esbjerg has moved into new premises and now refers directly to KVINFO in Copenhagen. The most recently established office, in the neighbourhood of Vollsmose, was inaugurated in 2006 in Odense in co-operation with The University of Southern Denmark.


 

How Is the Network Financed?

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The Mentor Network is financed by The Ministry of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs. The office in Århus is partly financed by The City of Aalborg and The City of Århus. The office in Esbjerg is partly financed by The City of Esbjerg and The City of Varde. The office in Odense has received an additional appropriation from the Ministry of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs.

 

An Award-winning Network

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In October 2004, KVINFO’s Mentor Network received the annual award from the Danish women’s magazine  'Alt for damerne'. Later that year, the Network was rewarded the annual integration prize for the public labour market by The Ministry of Refugee, Immigration and Integration Affairs. These two awards boosted the Mentor Network’s success as many more women became acquainted with the network following the positive publicity.

 

An Inspirational Network

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KVINFO’s Mentor Network has inspired the establishment of similar networks in other sectors in Denmark, and the idea has even transcended the country’s borders. The Women’s University of Oslo and The Municipality of Trondheim in Norway have set up similar initiatives. In 2007, the OECD published  a report documenting measures of integration within the European countries. The report highlighted KVINFO’s Mentor Network as one of the most positive initiatives within the field of integration in Denmark.

 

What Is KVINFO?

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The Mentor Network is a concept developed by KVINFO – the Danish Centre for Information on Women and Gender. KVINFO is a grant-maintained, self-governing institution under The Ministry of Culture. KVINFO’s main services consist of a research library, a web magazine, a free online encyclopaedia, a database of female professionals as well as a substantial website which boasts over 500.000 visitors per year. For more information about KVINFO, visit the website www.kvinfo.dk or visit KVINFO’s English website which covers all aspects of gender in Denmark.