Applications for the 2026-2027 cohort of the Women@Dior & UNESCO Mentorship and Education Program are now open

Ednah Carrick December 9, 2025

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Closing Date: 31 December 2025

Applications for the 2026-2027 cohort of the Women@Dior & UNESCO Mentorship and Education Program are now open

Overview

Women@Dior & UNESCO is a unique international mentorship and educational program dedicated to young women, built on House of Dior’s unique expertise in transmission of knowledge and skills and its community of motivated and inspiring talents. Launched in 2017, the Women@Dior & UNESCO Mentorship and Education Program has now supported over 2,500 young women selected from a wide range of studies – from business to engineering, art and fashion, to hospitality, communication, international relations, and more. To date, Mentees have spanned over 60 countries and represent almost 90 nationalities.

Through its educational offerings, Mentees are guided by visionary leaders and esteemed guest speakers who delve into vital subjects, such as gender parity and women’s leadership, that pave the way for responsible futures. Additionally, Mentees receive personalized support from their dedicated Dior Mentors, navigating the early stages of their careers and embarking on professional exploration. Each Mentee and Mentor dynamic is thoughtfully curated, leveraging an innovative approach that underscores compatibility and shared aspirations.

Partnership resonates at the heart of the Women@Dior & UNESCO Program, fostering meaningful connections and propelling its Mentees towards a future of boundless possibilities. Guided and nurtured by their Mentors, and in collaboration with fellow Mentees, this transformative experience culminates in the collective creation and realization of the Dream for Change Project, aimed at fostering empowerment among young women.

The Women@Dior & UNESCO Mentorship and Education Program is built on 5 core values:

Self-Care & Self-Awareness: Learning to know yourself in order to self-assert, transform, transcend preconceptions, 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 individuality; driven by dynamic empowerment, sisterhood, dialogue and cultural curiosity.
Autonomy: Autonomy is necessary for self-affirmation and accountability for one’s 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, and a healthier, more 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 develop visionary solutions that are ever more stimulating and take into account tomorrow’s major issues, be they ecological, economic or societal.
Inclusion: Inclusion offers every voice a legitimate, respected place in society. It is urgent to transform our differences into opportunities to broaden our horizons personally and culturally, to enhance creativity and long-term social responsibility/cohesion.
Sustainable Development: Sustainability is essential in rethinking and (re)creating today’s world, for preserving the diversity of both nature and the people who live in it. The program recognizes this interconnectedness by placing education and culture at the heart of its mission. These values are indispensable for building a more sustainable and equitable future.

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 Women@Dior & UNESCO Experience

A unique Mentoring program designed to guide young women in becoming future leaders by matching them with a Dior talent.
A state-of-the-art online education platform equipping young women with the knowledge and tools to shape a sustainable and responsible future, featuring courses led by top professors and leaders from renowned institutions and guest speakers from the Inspiring Interviews Series.
A hands-on initiative enabling participants to translate their learning into local action by developing projects that uplift and empower young girls—The Dream for Change Project.
A global community that stays active during the year through online and in person events and activities to foster connection and celebrate the power of sisterhood.

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, expanding the Women@Dior program globally with young female students from Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, Jamaica, Pakistan, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. This is a concrete commitment to giving disadvantaged young women around the world the opportunity to receive an education, which is of utmost importance when taking into account society’s stakes.

Recruitment Process

All participants are selected according to 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. Applications are reviewed based on the candidate’s demonstrated commitment to social impact, leadership potential, collaborative spirit, personal development, entrepreneurial thinking, innovative problem-solving, and a clear long-term vision.

This is not a recruitment program for an internship or job position. The Women@Dior & UNESCO Program is a mentoring program that runs parallel to your studies.

The Program is open to women who are:

Currently enrolled full-time in a higher education institution, under the age of 30 by the time of the application.
Undergraduate students in the final year of their degree or current postgraduate students (Master’s, PhD, etc.) and applicants from any area of study are welcome, as long as they demonstrate a strong interest in women’s empowerment and related issues.
Proficient in written and spoken English as it is the official language of the program. This will ensure effective participation in program activities, including mentorship, collaboration, and project development.
Not previous participants in the Women@Dior & UNESCO Program.