CM launches ‘SEHAR’ programme for home-based skills training of women

Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Monday launched the “Skill Enhancement Through Home Reach Programme (SEHAR)” aimed at providing home-based vocational

LAHORE, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 22nd Jun, 2026) Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Monday launched the “Skill Enhancement Through Home Reach Programme (SEHAR)” aimed at providing home-based vocational

training to women across the province and enhancing their economic participation.

Under the programme, women living in remote, semi-urban and urban areas would receive

training in beautification services, hospitality and digital technology. The Punjab government

has allocated Rs 970 million for the initiative, which seeks to impart vocational skills

to 5,365 women across the province.

According to official details, the programme would provide trainees with laptops, internet

devices, data packages and monthly stipends to facilitate learning. Preference would be

given to widows, differently-abled women and women belonging to minority communities.

The hospitality training component includes courses in culinary arts, baking, guest relations,

front desk management and airline management. The first batch of trainees in Lahore,

Faisalabad, Rawalpindi, Multan and Gujranwala had successfully completed training.

Under a collaboration with Nail Bar Pakistan, beautification courses covering hair styling,

skincare, makeup and nail art were being offered to 2,065 women in four districts. In addition,

1,260 women were receiving hospitality training in partnership with the Institute of Tourism

and Hotel Management (ITHM), while 2,040 women would undergo a six-month digital skills

training programme in collaboration with the Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF).

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The digital skills component includes training in e-commerce platforms such as Daraz

and Shopify, along with English language proficiency, product research and financial literacy.

Congratulating women who successfully completed their training, the chief minister expressed

confidence that the initiative would help transform Punjab’s female population into a productive

economic force.

She said the economic empowerment of women would contribute significantly to the development

of Punjab and the country, adding that when women become financially strong, the province

progresses as well.

CM Maryam Nawaz said the SEHAR programme was designed to provide women with opportunities

for growth, self-reliance and sustainable livelihoods. She expressed hope that the home-based

vocational training initiative would produce encouraging results and enable women to earn

independently and play a more active role in society.

The CM also announced that the Punjab government would facilitate employment opportunities

for women completing the training programmes, adding that the objective of delivering vocational

training at women’s doorsteps was to promote gender equality and increase women’s participation

in the workforce.