Who Seeks What Advice from Whom? An In-Depth Analysis of Gendered Patterns of Mentoring in Parliament

While women continue to populate contemporary parliaments in greater numbers, they are still a minority – both among the newly elected and particularly among the more senior MPs. This paper explores the role of mentoring as support system towards newly elected MPs – both men and women – in turn shedding light on mentoring as a mechanism through which gender gaps in career longevity can be decreased. The paper inductively analyses nearly 60 semi-structured interviews with current and former MPs in Norway and the UK to answer the following questions: a) Who facilitates mentoring arrangements, b) Who are the MPs serving as mentors and who are the MPs being mentored, and c) What does the mentoring consist of? The analysis shows that mentoring is primarily an informal endeavor, and it differs in form and frequency: Some establish whatsapp-groups to stay in touch, whilst others meet in parliament, and while some mentoring arrangements are limited to one or two contact points, others stay in touch for years and become great friends. Gendered patterns of mentoring are evident in both Norway and the UK: Mentoring is mainly done by senior women MPs towards newcomer women MPs. While some senior men also take on the role as mentors, few incoming men MPs approach more senior colleagues to ask for help and assistance. Interestingly, quite a few senior MPs concede that they have given different advice to men and women MPs, underlining how gender still structures the MP role in significant ways. Importantly, the in-depth analysis outlines how mentoring serves as a support system, particularly for incoming women MPs, in both Norway and the UK. If political parties of today are interested in keeping their elected women MPs on as representatives, they might thus consider to strengthen their mentoring arrangements – both in frequency and form – as that may improve women’s experience of being an MP, potentially making them more prone to stay on in politics.