On 2 May 2026, the public union Femmes Digitales – Supporting Women in TECH held its 12th regional STARTECH conference at Karabakh University in Khankendi. Around 70 schoolgirls aged 12-16 from Khankendi, surrounding regions and villages came together to discover the world of technology, innovation and digital creativity. A few days earlier, on 28 April, by Order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the founder of the Union, Jana Krimpe, was awarded the Tereggi (Progress) Medal for her contribution to the economic development of Azerbaijan and her effective work in the field of entrepreneurship.
The conference was dedicated to International Girls in ICT Day, a global initiative aimed at inspiring a new generation of women to choose careers in technology. For Femmes Digitales, this day in Khankendi was especially meaningful: over 12 years of work, the program has reached dozens of regions across the country, but the road here, to the heart of Karabakh, was the longest and the most important.
Twelve years – twelve regions: the journey that led to Khankendi
Over 12 years, the seminars, conferences and regional STARTECH programs organized by our organization have reached around 7,000 schoolgirls across Azerbaijan, including Masalli, Gabala, Guba, Shamakhi, Mingachevir, Lankaran, Ismayilli, Sheki, Nakhchivan, Ganja and, finally, Khankendi.
Each of these regions is a separate chapter in the history of the organization. But Karabakh has always remained a special priority – a destination that Femmes Digitales moved toward consciously and consistently. For many years, the organization waited for the opportunity to bring STARTECH to this region, and today, thanks to the support of partners, mentors, the Ministry of Science and Education, and the host institution, Karabakh University, this opportunity has finally become a reality.
Holding STARTECH in Khankendi has a threefold significance.
First, it is a historic milestone for the program itself: after 12 years of work, Femmes Digitales is coming to Karabakh for the first time, completing the regional map of its initiatives and opening a new chapter.
Second, it is a contribution to the restoration of the educational infrastructure of the liberated territories. Girls living here deserve the same access to digital knowledge and career opportunities as their peers in Baku, Ganja or Nakhchivan.
Third, it reaffirms the organization’s fundamental principle: no girl in Azerbaijan should remain outside the country’s digital future, regardless of where she was born – in a city or a village, in the capital or in a region.
On 28 April 2026, by Order of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, the founder of Femmes Digitales, Jana Krimpe, was awarded the Tereggi (Progress) Medal for her contribution to the economic development of Azerbaijan and her effective work in the field of entrepreneurship.
The award recognized Jana Krimpe’s more than twenty-year journey in Azerbaijan. Having received her education in Estonia, she came to Baku as a young entrepreneur with ideas of digital trust and a desire to contribute to the country where her mother and grandmother were born. Over the years, a number of projects have been implemented in Azerbaijan’s national digital infrastructure – systems that today serve millions of citizens in their daily lives and enable foreign partners to do business with the country with confidence.
“Twelve years ago, when we started STARTECH, we had one simple idea: no girl in Azerbaijan should ever hear the words ‘this is not for you.’ Today, standing in Khankendi and looking into the eyes of girls who are putting on VR headsets for the first time and writing their first lines of code, I understand that we have not simply held the twelfth regional program. We have closed the circle that we began in 2016. Karabakh waited for us for a long time, and we made our way here for a long time. But most importantly, we are not too late. These girls will build digital Azerbaijan just like their peers from Gabala, Sheki and Nakhchivan. Technology knows no boundaries – neither geographical nor gender-based. Today is the best proof of that. It is doubly meaningful to mark the receipt of this high award from Mr. President here in Karabakh, among the talented, promising and innovative women of Azerbaijan,” said Jana Krimpe, founder of the public union Femmes Digitales.
The conference program was designed so that the girls would not only listen about technologies, but also experience them with their own hands.
“VR and Web Coding Experience” was a practical workshop where participants immersed themselves in virtual reality through VR headsets and learned the basics of web development and vibe coding. The girls saw how immersive technologies and programming skills can turn into real digital projects.
“AI Adventures in Real Life” was a session dedicated to artificial intelligence in everyday life, education, creativity and future professions. Participants experimented with AI tools, learned how to write prompts, explored the Sora platform and created their own digital content, including music and song lyrics.
A particularly emotional highlight of the day was the motivational talks delivered by 16 women mentors working in Azerbaijan’s technology sector. They shared personal stories, spoke about challenges and achievements, and delivered one key message: technology is limited neither by gender, nor by city, nor by background. It is a field open to every girl who has curiosity, courage and desire.
The conference in Khankendi was organized with the support of the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Karabakh University.
The program was made possible thanks to the valuable contribution of B.EST Solutions, which has supported the organization throughout these years, PASHA Holding, Trendyol, Tufan Motors, Fominov Consulting, STEP IT Academy and MACAZ. Organizational support was provided by Bloom Group, and Haqqin.az served as the information partner.
Femmes Digitales expresses its deep gratitude to all partners whose consistent support made it possible to bring STARTECH to Karabakh and create an inspiring educational environment for girls in the region.
About the STARTECH Program
The STARTECH regional program was launched in 2016. Over nine years of work, around 3,500 schoolgirls in eleven regions of Azerbaijan have taken part in the program: Masalli, Gabala, Guba, Shamakhi, Mingachevir, Lankaran, Ismayilli, Sheki, Nakhchivan, Ganja and Khankendi. The program plays a key role in encouraging girls to pursue vocational and higher education in ICT through mentorship, real-life examples of successful women in technology, interactive learning and practical exposure to modern digital tools.
About the Public Union Femmes Digitales
Femmes Digitales – Supporting Women in TECH is an Azerbaijani public union founded in 2014 to expand the participation of women and girls in the digital economy. The organization implements educational, mentorship and technology-promotion programs across the country and beyond, shaping a new generation of women leaders in IT and cybersecurity.
