Violette Mentorship Graduation Day Held at Yelo Bank - PHOTO

On June 13, 2026, the graduation ceremony of the “Violette Mentorship” program for the 2025–2026 academic year was held at the headquarters of Yelo Bank. The program supports the personal, academic, and professional development of young women.

The event brought together mentees, mentors, alumni, partners, and guests representing both the public and private sectors.

Opening the ceremony, Violette Mentorship Founder Aytac Ahmadova and Program Manager Sevinc Huseynova spoke about the program’s achievements over the past year, the growth of its community, and its efforts to support young women.

During their remarks, it was noted that since its launch in 2023, Violette Mentorship has provided mentoring, training, and development opportunities to young women from different regions of the country. This year, an additional 33 mentees graduated and joined the Violette alumni network, bringing the total number of graduates to 82.

Representatives of Yelo Bank’s management and partner organizations also addressed the audience, highlighting the importance of initiatives aimed at empowering young women.

One of the key segments of the event was a panel discussion titled “From Mentee to Leader: Women Writing Their Own Stories.” The panel featured Aydan Hashimova, Executive Director of STEP IT Academy; Zahra Imanova, Founder of the “Zahra in Space” platform; and Fatima Ibadova, Financial Data Analyst at Kapital Bank. The speakers shared insights into their career journeys, challenges they faced, and leadership experiences.

During the event, Nazrin Guliyeva, Head of the First-Level Support Sector at the Digital Finance Center of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Azerbaijan, delivered a speech on the role of women in the public sector and opportunities for their professional growth.

Certificates were awarded to program participants, while outstanding mentees received special recognition for their achievements throughout the year.

In her speech, Founder Aytac Ahmadova stated that the program’s main goal is to help young women unlock their potential, expand access to education and career opportunities, and build a supportive development community. Sevinc Huseynova emphasized that one of the program’s greatest achievements is seeing graduates return as mentors, trainers, and team members, contributing to the development of the next generation of mentees.

It should be noted that Violette Mentorship is a free mentoring program designed for girls aged 15–25 from low-income families. The program provides mentor support, professional development training, speaking clubs, networking opportunities, and development resources across various career paths. Since its inception, the program has aimed to expand educational, career, and personal development opportunities for young women. To date, it has graduated 82 participants, some of whom are now studying in international education programs, working at leading companies in the country, or returning to the community as mentors and team members.

During the 2025–2026 academic year, a total of 26 mentors participated in the program, and 29 mentor-mentee pairs were formed. Of the 33 mentees who successfully completed the program this year, 17 received mentorship in overseas education, 12 in career development, and 4 in entrepreneurship.

All mentees participating in the entrepreneurship track successfully met the development indicators established by the program. Throughout the year, participants developed career plans with the support of mentors, prepared applications for international education opportunities, enhanced their professional skills, and gained access to new opportunities.

The main partners of the event were Yelo Bank and Urban Crew.