Rochelle de Goias-Jackman is demanding better for racialized youth

When Rochelle de Goias-Jackman was a grad student in the U.K., she noticed something profoundly unfair: Among her fellow classmates, many of the men in her program had mentors, but none of the women did.

“I was alone and like most students I was trying to figure out my future. I had so many questions and very little social capital,” she says. “Men had both formal and informal mentors who were opening doors, introducing them to experts in their field, creating connections and of course this was leading to interviews and internships. These mentors, whether they knew it or not, were helping the next generation of men succeed.”

The real kicker, she says: “None of the female students I asked had a mentor.”

De Goias-Jackman knew female students would benefit from having mentors so she became determined to do something that would encourage women to mentor other women. After working at the United Nations and provincial government, she founded Girls E-Mentorship (GEM), a charity that provides mentorship to marginalized, racialized girls from low-income areas in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).

It’s this initiative and its impact that inspired John Frieda Haircare to choose de Goias-Jackman to represent their “Fund the Demanding” initiative, a new pledge to support women who are changing their communities.

“”’Fund the Demanding’ was born from our deep admiration and respect for women who demand more from their fellow citizens, their community, and their world as they blaze a path towards a better life for everyone,” says Ashley Vriens, John Frieda haircare brand manager. “We believe that being ‘demanding’ is about wanting better. It’s saying good enough isn’t good enough and demanding not only more of yourself, but the world around you.”

It’s a description that she says fits de Goias-Jackman to a tee. “As the founder of GEM, Rochelle is the perfect representation of a ‘Demanding Woman’ who refuses to accept gender disparities in the workplace,” Vriens says. “By shining a spotlight on her story, we hope to inspire women across Canada to become unapologetic changemakers in their own lives.”

The company is donating $10,000 to GEM to support de Goias-Jackman’s efforts, and she knows exactly how she’ll be using those funds: to mentor more girls.

“I knew I could have benefitted from a mentor all those years ago, and the more I spoke with other women, the more they told me the same thing,” she says. “What a difference career guidance, industry knowledge, mentorship and social capital could have made at key points in our lives! And if that were true for us, imagine what a difference it could make for marginalized, racialized youth in Toronto.”

For two years, de Goias-Jackman worked with high school girls as well as educators, social workers, mentors and consultants to bring GEM to life. “Our first cohort was part of the research, concept development and pilot.” she says. The result is a multi-step program that reduces systemic barriers, improves academic and economic opportunities, provides career guidance and enriches social capital.

Here’s how it works: interested girls apply to GEM’s nine-month program through its website. Girls are then matched with a career mentor. Over the next nine months, the pair meets regularly, with mentors helping mentees build skills in the areas they need the most help—such as goal setting, time management or confidence building. The organization also co-hosts a variety of seminars with top corporations, arranges internships and scholarships for their mentees. At the end of the program, mentees can join GEM’s Alumnae Network so they can continue to access events, opportunities, internships and connections.

Aubony Fairooz is one of those mentees. Part of the 2018-2019 cohort, she points to GEM as the reason she’s changed her approach to goal-setting—and learning to aim even higher. “Prior to GEM, I was under the impression that my accomplishments were only worth something if I completed them 100 per cent on my own,” she says. “Taking the initiative and asking for help was a big area of weakness, however through the program I saw firsthand that I had people who were not only willing, but excited to provide that support to me. For the future, I’ve been able to set higher goals knowing that I will have, or I can always find, individuals who support me along the way.”

But Fairooz isn’t alone. Over the past decade, hundreds of girls have completed GEM’s program. The program has also distributed nearly $200,000 in scholarships and most importantly, it has “improved mentees post-secondary planning, job readiness, goal setting, self-knowledge and professional skills. We can confidently say that the GEM program offers a transformative experience that empowers success long after high school,” de Goias-Jackman says.

“We have only scratched the surface in terms of mentoring marginalized girls,” she says. “We want to reach more young women in the GTA and outside of the GTA. We also want to expand our alumnae program. There is so much more that can be done across the province.”

Advertising feature produced by Globe Content Studio with John Frieda Haircare. The Globe’s editorial department was not involved.