Women Mentoring Women: New Research Points to the Importance of Shared Gender in Mentoring Relationships

Beltran, D. R., & Robnett, R. D. (2026). Mentoring, academic belonging, and imposter phenomenon among undergraduate women: A critical feminist perspective. Education Sciences, 16(5), 750. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci16050750

Introduction

Women in higher education continue to face gender inequity despite being represented in undergraduate enrollments. One persistent manifestation is the imposter phenomenon, or the persistent self-doubt and feelings of fraudulence rooted in structural inequalities, including patriarchy and racialized academic cultures. Given its associations with diminished psychological wellbeing and reduced academic ambition, identifying practical strategies to address it is urgently needed. Beltran and Robnett (2026) ask whether mentoring might mitigate imposter syndrome among undergraduate women.

Methods

Participants were 383 cisgender undergraduate women enrolled in an introductory psychology course at a public university in the Southwestern United States. The sample was racially and ethnically diverse, and 57.4% identified as first-generation college students. Using a mixed-methods design, quantitative measures assessed imposter experiences, academic belonging, and mentor type (academic, non-academic, or none). Qualitative open-ended responses from 87 participants who had spoken with their mentors about imposter feelings were analyzed using feminist empowerment theory as a deductive framework.

Results

Women with mentors reported significantly lower imposter feelings and higher academic belonging than those without mentors. These psychological benefits were driven primarily by non-academic mentors like family, coaches, and community members rather than academic mentors. The moderation hypothesis—that mentoring would buffer the link between low belonging and higher imposter feelings—was not supported. Two themes emerged: mentors combatting the imposter phenomenon through validation and empowerment, and mentors framing it as a shared experience. Women mentored by other women were significantly more likely to receive validation and empowerment-focused responses than those mentored by men.

Discussion

The finding that non-academic mentors drove the observed benefits aligns with feminist critiques of academic mentoring, which can reproduce hierarchical dynamics that disadvantage women. The qualitative themes suggest mentors largely addressed imposter feelings at the individual level rather than situating them within structural inequity.

Implications for Mentoring Programs

Programs should actively promote non-academic mentoring networks and train all mentors to recognize and respond to imposter experiences. The finding that women mentors appear particularly positioned to provide validation and empowerment should be factored into mentor matching.

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