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 :
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.
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
On March 23, 2022, Dior and UNESCO, in a third consecutive year of a special partnership, presented the “UNESCO & Women@Dior Global Conference” held at the UNESCO House in Paris. The event celebrated themes at the heart of Women@Dior’s priorities, such as education, inclusion, and gender equality. The gathering aimed to spread the power of sisterhood ever farther around the world by giving a voice to the Mentees and Mentors of the House, as well as to inspiring artists such as this edition’s guests of honor, singer-songwriter Imany and socially committed Afghan photographer Fatimah Hossaini.
On this occasion, an exceptional jury, chaired by Maria Grazia Chiuri, selected the winners of the Dream For Change Project. As a final surprise, various workshops led by professionals highlighted the five core values of the program: self-care and self-awareness, autonomy, creativity, inclusion, sustainability.
“To me, the Women@Dior sisterhood symbolizes the opportunity to be united with like-minded women across the world, wherever I go. It is a connection that will hopefully allow me to experience someone else’s life through their eyes and forge a meaningful bond through mutual understanding, respect and support. I hope I can draw upon this sisterhood throughout the entirety of my career and support other women along the way.”
– Jessie Corne, W@D Mentee, Class of 2022”
“Attending this program is an honor for me because I firmly believe in its values and objectives. I would like to develop innovative and sustainable ideas that can lead the industry and society towards a more sustainable and inclusive future. Following my future goals, I would like to become an international buyer, hence my need to create and carry out sustainable projects or the application of new sustainable models in the production process of the collection, from the selection of raw materials to the construction of the collection, having as a priority the use of sustainable raw materials following the circular economy. It is important to create innovative and renewable solutions to preserve the world's natural and cultural heritage to reduce current pollution levels, which are dangerous both for us and for future generations.”
– Roberta Pannone, W@D Mentee, Class of 2022
“The Maison helps us to develop ourselves both personally and professionally. We trust each other which give us the possibility to have more confidence and autonomy to develop our ideas and to take more initiatives. This is such a vibrant, challenging and creative environment for me that it is a unique way to expand and improve my skills from creation to product management.”
- Laura Melkonian, W@D Mentee, Class of 2022
“I believe that when women support each other, incredible things happen. Empowering each other makes a real difference. The Women@Dior sisterhood is about having different stories, different personalities, different role models etc but this powerful diversity enriches all of us Mentors and Mentees. Sharing my experience, emotions, expertise, and vision with my Mentee is very humbling. I am really proud to be a part such incredible sisterhood.”
– Oxana Sinetskaya, W@D Mentor & Store Manager of the Galleria Milan Christian Dior Couture Boutique
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 :
If you learned about this opportunity through UNESCO, please state it clearly on your CV and cover letter.
Applications for the Class of 2023 – 2024 will be open from Friday 2 December to Wednesday 14 December.
Apply“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 »