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MENTORSHIP & EDUCATION PROGRAM

Dior AW21

Women@Dior & UNESCO,
A UNIQUE PROGRAM

Created in 2017, Women@Dior is a unique international mentoring & educational program that has coached and helped blossom thousands of young women all over the world. The program is a unique occasion to learn what is not taught: self-confidence and to dare for your career destiny. The participants are selected from various business, engineering, art and fashion schools spanning across almost 58 different countries such as France, China, Nigeria, Kenya, Costa Rica, Brazil, Iran and Bangladesh just to name a few. Through the educational program, they are trained by inspiring leaders and guest speakers on several themes such as gender equality and women’s leadership for a sustainable future. The Mentees will be guided by their Dior Mentors as they take their first steps in their careers and whilst they build their professional experience.

Each Mentee/Mentor duo shares an exclusive relationship and are matched through an innovative approach based on their compatibility.

The program is built on 5 core values :

  • Self-Care & Self-Awareness: Learning to know yourself in order to self-assert, transform, transcend precepts, deconstruct archetypes and enhance inner growth. Connecting body and mind to be able to shine. All of these values and approaches are ones that the House of Dior and UNESCO hold dear, for self-revelation and cultivating singularity; dynamic empowerment, driven by sisterhood, dialogue and cultural curiosity.
  • Autonomy: Autonomy is necessary for self-affirmation and accountability for our own actions. Access to freedom is an essential foundation for conceiving and creating ethical ways of living together. No impediment to freedom is justifiable, because freedom alone makes creativity possible.
  • Creativity: Creativity encourages innovation and inspires ideas for a more responsible future, a healthier and therefore more serene and resilient planet. A passion for culture, heritage and the most contemporary creations are at the heart of Dior’s values. They help us to dream, to come up with visionary solutions that are ever more stimulating and conscious of tomorrow’s major issues, be they ecological, economic or societal.
  • Inclusion: Inclusion lends everyone a voice, offering them a legitimate, respected place in society. It is urgent to transform our differences into a source of inestimable richness, to broaden our horizons personally and culturally, and to reveal talents that enhance creativity, autonomy and long-term social responsibility.
  • Sustainability: Faced with the inadequacy of past initiatives, sustainability is essential in rethinking and (re)creating today’s world, for preserving the diversity of nature and protecting that of the people who live in it, whatever their origins or social milieu. Education, like culture, is at the heart of this apprenticeship and value system; both are indispensable.

Following the coursework, participants are invited to put what they have learnt into practice by creating a project that supports the empowerment of young girls - the “Dream for Change” project.

THE 5 FOUNDATIONS OF THE PROGRAM

  • A unique mentoring program to accompany young women to become tomorrow’s leaders under the guidance of a promising Dior Talent.
  • A state-of-the-art online education program empowering young women to imagine and build a more sustainable and responsible future through exclusive courses led by professors chosen from some of the world’s most prestigious institutions as well as guest speakers invited to join the Inspiring Interviews Series.
  • A local and concrete project to put learnings into practice by creating an initiative that supports the empowerment of young girls: the Dream for Change project.
  • A community based on sorority connected by locally-activated events and supported by an online group
  • A global conference held at UNESCO with inspiring speakers to empower young women and assert the power of sorority

A program part of UNESCO’s Global Coalition for Education

Dior joined UNESCO’s Global Education Coalition in 2020 on World Youth Skills Day, becoming the first couture House to do so, by opening its Women@Dior program to over 200 talented young female students from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, Jamaica, Pakistan, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. It is a concrete commitment to give disadvantaged young women around the world the opportunity to receive an education, which is of utmost importance when taking into account society’s stakes and the global health crisis.

“Talent is universal, but opportunity is not, especially for a generation of young women whose education has been severely affected by the pandemic. By joining the Global Coalition with an initiative that empowers and carries promise for the future, the Dior Couture House is sending a strong message of commitment and confidence, giving young women from disadvantaged backgrounds the chance to fulfill their dreams”

Stefania Giannini, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Education

(RE)EXPERIENCE THE Women@Dior & UNESCO 2024 GLOBAL CONFERENCE

On March 28th, 2024, the House of Dior and UNESCO presented the Women@Dior & UNESCO 2024 Global Conference at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. This committed gathering united Mentees and Mentors, leaders of LVMH, Dior, and UNESCO, alongside inspiring personalities advocating for women’s rights in various fields to showcase the power of sisterhood and celebrate themes that are more essential than ever – education, equity, inclusion, and gender equality.

(RE)EXPERIENCE THE Women@Dior & UNESCO 2023 GLOBAL CONFERENCE

On March 8th, 2023, the House of Dior and UNESCO hosted the Women@Dior & UNESCO 2023 Global Conference. Discover the behind-the-scenes of this unique event in Episode 1 of the Women@Dior & UNESCO 2023 Global Conference video series, hosted by Women@Dior Mentee Bagdat Akbiyeva from Kazakhstan.

Discover Episode 2 of the Women@Dior & UNESCO 2023 Global Conference video series, hosted by Women@Dior Mentee Olivia Meyer from the USA. Olivia takes you to (re)experience the first half of the morning ceremony of this unique event.

In Episode 3, hosted by Women@Dior Mentee Hiba Allate from France, (re)experience the inspiring guests who shared their visions on gender equality and women's empowerment at the Women@Dior & UNESCO 2023 Global Conference.

In Episode 4, experience the Dream For Change celebrations through the eyes of the Dream For Change 2022 finalist and Women@Dior Mentee, Cwenga Koyana, from South Africa, as she encourages and empowers her fellow Women@Dior sisters who are actively supporting the emancipation of young women in their local communities.

Dive into Episode 5 of the Women@Dior & UNESCO 2023 Global Conference video series to be immersed into the key moments of this unique gathering dedicated to spreading the power of sisterhood around the world.

TESTIMONIES MENTEES

“The Women@Dior & UNESCO mentorship and education program has been a life-changing experience that has unleashed my human potential to bring a positive impact to the lives of teen mothers in Africa. I deeply appreciate and value how the program is a unique opportunity to bring together young women from all walks of life to inspire them to become the leaders of tomorrow and reach for greater heights. The program has ignited something special within me, a light which I am using to spread love and hope to all my sisters across the world.”

– Cwenga Koyana, South Africa, W@D Mentee, Class of 2022

“From start to finish, the Women@Dior & UNESCO Global Conference spurred creativity, community, and courage. I truly cherished the opportunity to be surrounded by so many talented women who share a passion for uplifting the next generation of changemakers. It was fulfilling to celebrate the value of women and see how the fruits of our ambition can generate positive change in society and transform lives around the world.”

– Olivia Meyer, USA, W@D Mentee, Class of 2023

“My Women@Dior journey has been an amazing self-discovery process to understand my talents and strengths, as well as to learn how to face my fears. I had the fear of initiating something from scratch but, with this program, I was able to start and lead a project, named Green Craft Academy, from scratch with the help of my Mentor and Women@Dior sisters. Each coaching session helped me to re-innovate my leadership skills and supported me in designing and implementing my project that helps young Tanzanian women who are school dropouts to start their eco-responsible businesses. Thank you, Women@Dior, for empowering me.”

- Happy Itros Sanga, Tanzania, W@D Mentee, Class of 2023

“Being part of the Women@Dior & UNESCO program gave me the keys to develop Sisterhood Abroad, my Dream For Change project that I am very passionate about, alongside my career. I have realized that to feel totally accomplished in life, I needed this balance. Today I am happy to be able to participate in the growth and personal development of other young women and to create such a beautiful community where women support each other no matter where they come from. This program has been a wonderful opportunity to inspire and to be inspired by my Mentor, leaders of the House of Dior, my Women@Dior sisters from current and previous promotions, and other committed women who shared their experiences with us all along the program. The Women@Dior & UNESCO program has positively changed my life and the ones of the people we empower with our initiatives!”

– Amah Mbatsogo, France, W@D Mentee, Class of 2023

TIMELINE 2024

Global Conference
A global event that reunites graduating and incoming Mentees, as well as inspiring public figures to develop the power of sisterhood and celebrate women’s empowerment and gender equality at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris, France.
March 2024
The mentoring
Mentorship of all Mentees thanks to the coaching and support of promising Dior talents.
All Year
Education Program
A dedicated platform featuring 30 courses led by renowned professors and inspiring guests.
April – September 2024
The Dream for Change Project
Following theoretical coursework, launch of a practical case study so that Mentees put what they learned into practice by creating a local and concrete project that supports the empowerment of young girls.
September - January 2025
The inspiring Interviews Series
Mentees are able to meet with outstanding public figures to discuss women’s empowerment and gender equality.
All year
Women @ Dior Paris

RECRUITMENT PROCESS

All participants are selected based on three criteria: talent, ambition and generosity. They are all young women full of promise and potential who are united in the notion that their professional success is related to the sorority.

WE WILL ONLY CONSIDER APPLICATIONS FROM WOMEN WHO ARE :

  • Currently enrolled in a university course
  • Undergraduate students in the last year of their degree OR postgraduate students (Masters, PhD…)
  • Under 30 years old
  • Fluent in English
  • HAVE NOT previously participated in the Women@Dior program

If you learned about this opportunity through UNESCO, please state it clearly on your CV and cover letter.

Applications for the Class of 2024 – 2025 are now closed.

Applications closed

“Women, who have such strong natural instinct, must have understood that I not only dreamed of making them more beautiful, but also happier.”

Monsieur Christian Dior, « Christian Dior and I »