The Eurocities Academy has officially launched its Women Leaders Mentorship Programme, an initiative that empowers female deputy mayors and city councillors across Europe. This programme is designed to tackle the persistent barriers women face in local government leadership, providing a critical support network that fosters personal, professional, and political growth.
André Sobczak, Eurocities Secretary General, underscores the importance of mentorship in helping women break into senior leadership roles: “I am convinced of the added value of pairing young female deputy mayors and city councillors with current and former mayors from other European cities to learn from their experiences, increase their self-confidence, and develop their skills.”
Gender disparities in local leadership
Globally, women remain underrepresented in local government leadership positions. Despite some progress, the road to parity remains long, with UN Women reporting that while women’s participation is higher in local government than at the national level, it still lags far behind that of men. Across Europe, women hold only 37% of seats in local deliberative bodies, and only a few countries have achieved gender parity in these roles. Entrenched gender biases and male-dominated party cultures remain key obstacles.
“Politics is such a male-dominated area. Men occupy these spaces with confidence – we need to change these dynamics, and I hope that programmes like this one contribute to it,” says Mahalia France-Mir, Support Member in Leeds, reflecting on the importance of change.
The Eurocities programme directly addresses these challenges by fostering mentorship relationships between seasoned female mayors and emerging women leaders. Jeanne Barseghian, Mayor of Strasbourg, reflects on her family’s legacy and the need for women to support each other: “My great grandmother was one of the first female elected politicians of the 20th century in the Republic of Armenia. A hundred years later, I am myself Mayor of Strasbourg.”
Mentorship as a tool for change
The programme pairs mentees with mentors like Barseghian, Mirja Vehkaperä, Mayor of Oulu, and Jacqueline McLaren, Lord Provost of Glasgow. Each mentor brings a lifetime of experience to help mentees navigate the challenges of local government leadership.
Elisa Ferreira, European Commissioner for Cohesion and Reforms, will also contribute to the programme bringing her experience as the first woman nominated by Portugal to her current post. “Higher achievement for women correlates with higher quality government,” Ferreira emphasises.
I would have loved to have a mentor when I was a Mayor – now I hope to help my mentee and pay it forward.
For participants like Miina-Anniina Heiskanen, Second Vice Chair of the Oulu City Board, the mentorship programme provides an essential opportunity for growth: “I hope to strengthen my skills as a leader and as a local politician. It is a huge opportunity to do this in such a supportive environment.”
Anna König Jerlmyr, former Mayor of Stockholm and a mentor in the programme, reflected on the value of mentorship: “I would have loved to have a mentor when I was a Mayor – now I hope to help my mentee and pay it forward.”
Addressing systemic challenges
The mentorship programme is part of Eurocities’ broader strategy to increase gender equality in local government. Women leaders often face systemic barriers, including gender biases, limited access to influential networks, and ongoing discrimination.
“I’ve met a lot of women who were terrified to speak in community meetings, so this has been a priority of mine since I was elected,” says Jacqueline McLaren, Lord Provost of Glasgow, underscoring the perceived inhospitality of the political arena for women today.
This programme seeks to overcome those challenges by providing not only one-on-one mentorship but also opportunities for mentees to increase their visibility at the European level through participation in Eurocities events and high-level meetings with EU representatives.
In addition to mentorship, the programme will host group discussions on critical topics such as online harassment and sustainability. These sessions offer a platform for current and former female politicians to share insights and strategies for overcoming shared challenges.
Katrin Lögering, Chairperson of the Green political group in Dortmund, commented on the significance of cross-city learning: “We need more women in politics and more women who become mayors. That’s why I want to do this.”
Building a legacy of leadership
the added value of a programme like this is the possibility to bring about change across Europe
The nine-month mentorship journey, which began in September 2024, will culminate in a closing ceremony at the Eurocities Annual Conference in Braga in 2025. This marks the next stage of a long-term initiative to build a network of female leaders, who will not only break through gender barriers in their cities but help shape more inclusive, democratic, and sustainable cities across Europe.
Veronique Bertholle, Deputy Mayor of Strasbourg, said: “Even if we have support networks for women politicians at the local level in France, the added value of a programme like this is the possibility to bring about change across Europe – not only in our French bubble.”
