Femmes Digitales held its first STARTECH in Khankendi: Technology is returning to Karabakh with a new generation of girls
- 4 hours ago
- 4 min read
On May 2, 2026, the public association Femmes Digitales — “Supporting Women in Technology” held its 12th regional STARTECH conference at Karabakh University in Khankendi. Around 70 schoolgirls aged 12–16 from Khankendi, nearby regions, and villages gathered to discover the world of technology, innovation, and digital creativity. Just a few days earlier, on April 28, by decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the association’s founder Yana Krimpe was awarded the “Tərəqqi” (Progress) medal for her contribution to Azerbaijan’s economic development and effective activity in entrepreneurship.
The conference was dedicated to the International Girls in ICT Day, a global initiative aimed at inspiring a new generation of women to pursue careers in technology. For Femmes Digitales, this day in Khankendi became especially meaningful: over 12 years, the program has reached dozens of regions across the country, but the journey here—to the heart of Karabakh—proved to be the longest and most significant.
Twelve years — twelve regions: a journey that led to Khankendi
Over 12 years, the organization’s seminars, conferences, and regional STARTECH programs 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 represents a separate chapter in the organization’s history. However, Karabakh has always remained a special priority, one that Femmes Digitales pursued consciously and persistently. 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 Education, and the host Karabakh University, that opportunity has finally been realized.
Holding STARTECH in Khankendi carries triple significance.
First, it marks a historic milestone for the program itself: after 12 years of work, Femmes Digitales has come to Karabakh for the first time, completing the regional map of its initiatives while opening a new chapter.
Second, it contributes to the restoration of educational infrastructure in 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 be left outside the country’s digital future, regardless of where she was born—whether in a city or a village, in the capital or in a region.
On April 28, 2026, by decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, Femmes Digitales founder Yana Krimpe was awarded the “Tərəqqi” (“Progress”) medal for her contribution to Azerbaijan’s economic development and effective entrepreneurial activity.
The award recognized more than twenty years of Yana Krimpe’s work in Azerbaijan. Educated in Estonia, she came to Baku as a young entrepreneur with ideas about digital trust and a desire to contribute to a country where her mother and grandmother were born. Over the years, numerous projects have been implemented in Azerbaijan’s national digital infrastructure—systems that today serve millions of citizens in their daily lives and enable international partners to confidently do business with the country.
“Twelve years ago, when we started STARTECH, we had one simple idea: no girl in Azerbaijan should ever hear ‘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 realize we have not just held our twelfth regional program—we have completed a circle that began in 2016. Karabakh waited a long time for us, and we took a long time to get here. But most importantly, we are not late. These girls will build digital Azerbaijan just like their peers from Gabala, Sheki, and Nakhchivan. Technology knows no boundaries—neither geographic nor gender. And today is the best proof of that. It is especially meaningful to receive such a high award from the President here in Karabakh, surrounded by talented, promising, and innovative women of Azerbaijan,” said Yana Krimpe, founder of Femmes Digitales.
The conference program was designed so that the girls would not only hear about technology but experience it firsthand.
“VR and Web Coding Experience” was a hands-on 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 be transformed 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 prompt writing, 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 by 16 female mentors working in Azerbaijan’s technology sector. They shared personal stories, spoke about challenges and achievements. The key message: technology is not limited by gender, location, or background—it is a field accessible to every girl with curiosity, courage, and determination.
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 contributions of B.EST Solutions, which has supported the organization over the years, as well as PASHA Holding, Trendyol, Tufan Motors, Fominov Consulting, STEP IT Academy, and MACAZ. Organizational support was provided by Bloom Group.
Femmes Digitales expresses 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.
Source of the news: https://infocity.tech/2026/05/femmes-digitales-vpervye-provela-startech-v-hankendi/
Comments