Thursday, March 19, 2026
2:00 – 3:30 pm ET

Concrete Strategies for Support & Change

Women across higher education continue to encounter systemic barriers that limit access to sponsorship, leadership pathways, and decision-making opportunities. Too often, mentoring models overlook the realities of women’s identities, roles, and positional power—particularly for women navigating intersectional identities, caregiving responsibilities, rank, or contingent status. The result is a culture in which women are expected to provide emotional support and informal mentoring without recognition, advancement, or relief from invisible labor.

Join us on March 19, 2026, when our expert presenter – Farzana Nayani, a recognized people and culture specialist, coach, international keynote speaker, author and consultant – will examine how gendered expectations, emotional labor, and imposter syndrome contribute to fatigue, isolation, self-doubt, and burnout among women on campus. More importantly, she will offer concrete strategies for change.

You will explore identity- and role-aware mentoring practices that move beyond well-intentioned but inequitable approaches.

Topics Covered

Explore concrete strategies that will help you:

• Shift from informal help to intentional, equitable mentoring structures.
• Distinguish authentic leadership from caregiving and emotional labor.
• Support women navigating role overload and leadership transitions.
• Use strengths-based mentoring that affirms voice and authority.
• Advocate for mentoring practices that recognize women’s labor and roles.
• Explore and implement tools and language for sustainable mentoring.
• Frame mentoring as a leadership and institutional change strategy.

Presenter

Farzana Nayani is a recognized People & Culture specialist, executive coach, and keynote speaker. She has worked with higher education institutions, Fortune 500 corporations, public agencies, school districts, and non-profit organizations as a consultant and trainer on engagement and belonging, intercultural communication, and inclusive leadership.
Click here for full bio.