Feminist career mentoring for women in STEAM+: An evolving model and recommendations from a Brasilian practice

This paper compares three mentoring programmes for women in science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics, and related fields (STEAM+) in Brasil, exploring their design, impact, and lessons learned to propose an evolving model of feminist mentoring. We aim to provide a perspective of career mentoring with women in STEAM+ that be experiential, practice-based, feminist, intersectional, decolonial, and Brasilian. We identify key factors that enhance mentoring effectiveness, including matching, mentor training, thematic sessions, and regular, inclusive meetings. We underscore the value of creating safe spaces for women to share experiences, providing tailored support, and fostering solidarity. Additionally, we advocate mentoring models that prioritize relational, comentoring practices that be adapted to local contexts, urging the decolonization of mentoring frameworks. Our recommendations aim to enrich feminist mentoring practices and inform more inclusive interventions for women in STEAM+ worldwide.