Why we believe in mentorship:
Lead(h)er gives Quad Cities area women the personal and professional tools to address systemic issues that hold women back aka the sticky floor, the broken rung, and the glass ceiling. With a data-driven and connection-based approach, the Strike a Match mentoring program is creating new agents of social change to ensure the workplace is equitable for all.
Mentorship is the 6th highest barrier for working women in Iowa, so Lead(h)er is committed to offering the Strike a Match mentoring program free of charge.
Women are five times more likely to be promoted if they have a mentor. That means if you have a mentor you are five times more likely to hurdle past the broken rung.
62% of women of color say they believe a lack of mentorship holds them back in their careers.
Women are 24% less likely than men to get advice from senior leaders
Mentorship can help close the wage gap in the Quad Cities by teaching negotiation and advocacy skills.
Women who work full-time in the Quad Cities make 72 cents for every dollar earned by a man.
If the 28-cent pay gap that women in the Quad Cities experience was placed on a list next to pay gaps in all 50 states and Washington D.C., it would come in 48th, tying with Louisiana and coming ahead of just Utah and Wyoming. Iowa’s gender pay gap is 22 cents.
Poverty rates for women in the Quad Cities Area (Davenport, Rock Island, Moline) are higher than men at all education levels. The latest data from the U.S. Census Bureau shows that 17% of people in the Quad Cities live in poverty, compared with a statewide rate of 10%.
Median yearly earnings for women in the QCA(Davenport, Rock Island, Moline) and the surrounding counties of Rock Island, Henry, and Mercer lag the Nation and states of Illinois and Iowa
We can help retain talent in the Quad Cities through a network of over 900 working women.
Employees with mentors are 17% more likely to be satisfied in their job.
70% of jobs are acquired through networking.
our program works to eliminate the disparities for women in leadership roles.
Women make up 8.2% of Fortune 500 CEOs.
Women are half as likely to be promoted as their male counterparts.
Every Quad Citizen can be an agent of social change in our connected region if they are leveraged through collective action.
Learning through experience has an 80%+ success rate, instead of just 5% with traditional learning.
70% of job knowledge is gained through experience.
"At our first meeting, we discussed my outcome goals and how we can achieve them. I want to gain confidence entering a new career field. I would like to gain experience through volunteer opportunities. I want to improve my resume writing abilities as well as my interview skills. And lastly, I want to network and build professional relationships. That’s a lot, but my mentor has assured me all is POSSIBLE! I would like to thank you and the Lead(h)er organization for this opportunity.”
-Tiffany, Mentee