International women will have a new resource with the development of a program to discuss issues and present informational programs. The program is coordinated through the Margaret Sloss Women’s Center.Becky Fredrick, graduate student in educational leadership and policy studies, is in charge of organizing the Women of the World International Peer Mentor Program. The program will give international women at Iowa State an opportunity to talk about issues they face on the ISU campus and in their home countries.Some of these issues may include violence against women, marriage customs and traditions and female genital mutilation, she said.”My goal is to get students interested in the program and bring them together,” Fredrick said. “The one thing that is really important is to get the initiative going on campus. There’s a lot of peer groups on campus, but not many dealing strictly with international issues.”Penny Rosenthal, director of Off-Campus and Adult Student Services and adviser for the group, said the goals of the program focus on helping international women transition from life in their home countries to the United States.”Many international women coming to the United States have needs that we can meet,” she said. “They have a desire to learn. This program is an opportunity for international women and domestic students to teach each other and to learn from each other.”The group will help women by offering assertiveness training and to enhance their academic work in addition to dealing with culture shock, Rosenthal said.”It’s an opportunity in a very safe climate for international women to take on a leadership position and to improve communication skills,” she said.She said there are many benefits to acting as an international mentor, such as exposure to other cultures. She said employers are also looking for people with leadership skills and experience working with other cultures. Fredrick said students interested in becoming a peer mentor must have an understanding of issues facing international women and a 2.0 grade point average. The program will start next fall, and students can contact Fredrick at [email protected] for further information.”We have become a global society, and the campus at Iowa State is made up of a diverse group of women and students,” she said. “The more we can understand about each other, the better our chances of getting along.”