“Having a mentor helped me raise my voice.” The Women@Dior project at UNESCO supports the project of young women around the world.

The meeting was scheduled for March 28 at the headquarters of the organization in the 7th district of the capital. On the agenda for the morning is the annual global conference organized by Dior and UNESCO, which celebrates topics such as education, inclusion and gender equality. The guests, mostly women, sat in a conference room decked out in white dresses and huge gold butterflies. Before the ceremony, twenty gospel singers took the stage and played the tone. While Dior’s Deputy General Director of Human Resources and Sustainable Development, Olivier Sastre, spoke; “Christian Dior dreamed of making women not only more beautiful, but also happier. We can proudly say that we are doing everything to perpetuate his will and legacy. Today, more than half of the key positions at Dior are held by women in France and abroad,” she explained, before presenting the projects the house is undertaking in India, Morocco and Tanzania.

Inspirational interventions

After the interventions of Stefania Giannini, Assistant Director-General for Education of UNESCO and Chantal Gemperle, Director of Human Resources and Synergies of the LVMH Group, discussions were held on artificial intelligence, technology, the importance and necessity of integrating women in education. trust each other, especially with a remarkable passage by Lena Mahfouf.

One speech particularly touched the audience. Speech by Nobel Peace Prize winner and women’s rights activist Leima Gbowi. The Liberian recounted his journey from the civil war that rocked his country to a toxic relationship that brought him to the brink of suicide. Before declaring that “peace is not the absence of war, it is the creation of conditions that allow for the dignity of all.”

Dream for a change

The Women@Dior & Unesco conference was also an opportunity for Dior to select the winners of the Dream For Change project., a mentoring program between women that was created five years ago by the fashion house. Hundreds of participants from around the world benefit from the support of a mentor for several months every year to introduce a project that promotes the autonomy of young girls in their communities. Five groups had the opportunity to present their project on the UNESCO stage.

“Peace is not the absence of war, it is the creation of conditions that give dignity to everyone. »

Leima Gbovy

In the end, the Meraki and Be Neutral projects were selected by a jury chaired by Dior Creative Director Maria Grazia Chiuri, after an on-site discussion. The first winning project, submitted by Neha Jain, is a business incubator in India that supports small Indian artisans living in rural areas. The second, worn by Lee Sun, aims to alleviate the dysmorphia of South Korean women, constrained by beauty standards.

When asked how mentorship has benefited them over the past year, the two winners’ observations were clear. Neha Jain explains. “When we think about the Dream For Change project, we first think about the changes we want to make in the world, not realizing that things will change inside us too. This year has been a whirlwind, and having a mentor, or even several, has helped me raise my voice, dare to put forth my ideas, and build my confidence. Because of this, I was able to carry women’s voices in India, I was able to give back, I was able to travel around the place. Together, women are capable of anything.”

Lee Saun also built on the camaraderie. “My mentor was Cassandra Choi. (Founder of sportswear brand Catch Me, editor’s note.) She gave us her full attention and having her as a role model helped me build the woman I want to be. In South Korea, it’s hard for women to speak authentically, assumptions about women’s bodies are very powerful, especially because of K-pop. Many girls at school suffer from eating disorders. The resonance I felt with my mentor and the honesty we had with each other allowed me to believe in our project, to believe that it was possible to subvert Korean beauty standards. »

“Having a mentor is a measure,” concluded Isabel Faggianelli, Dior’s vice president of social responsibility. “The world pushes women to individualize. With accompaniment, we are more about a generous transfer. The male vision management is very hierarchical, while women are more horizontal. We need to speak collectively, look for solutions together, integrate people into thinking. The more inclusive the thinking, the greater the results. »

Encouragement, which was also expressed by the gestures of the participants: rearrangement of dresses, sincere smiles and proud looks, holding hands and applause. The energy, after all, that comes from a group of women who have come together to talk about big projects and who mutually give voice to each other.