Around 50 women in Upper Chitral have completed vocational and digital skills training under the Ba-Ikhtiyar Women Project, an initiative implemented through the Digital Skills Training Initiative of the Hujra Village Support Organization (HUJRA VSO). The programme provided participants with training in stitching, tailoring and fashion design, alongside digital marketing, e-commerce and technology awareness sessions. The training was conducted in two batches at the Government Technical and Vocational Centre for Women (GTVC-W) in Booni, Upper Chitral. All 50 enrolled participants successfully completed the programme and received certificates at a distribution ceremony attended by District Finance Officer Farhana Hayat as the chief guest. The vocational component focused on practical skills including stitching, tailoring and fashion design, while the digital component introduced participants to tools and practices that can support the promotion and sale of products through online channels.
Participants also received specialised training in digital marketing and e-commerce for entrepreneurs, along with technology awareness sessions and practical learning activities. Upon completion, each woman received a mobile phone to support continued access to digital tools and opportunities to promote her skills, products and services. The programme therefore combines traditional vocational skills with digital capabilities that can help participants connect their work with wider markets.
HUJRA VSO acknowledged the support of the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF) and Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) for financial assistance, while the Institute of Rural Management (IRM) provided technical support and partnered in the training. The Ba-Ikhtiyar Project is a wider PPAF and PTCL initiative focused on rural women entrepreneurs, with Phase II covering 22 districts and including Upper Chitral among its locations. The broader programme provides vocational training, smartphones with connectivity, e-commerce coaching and financial literacy support.
The Upper Chitral training is aimed at helping participants connect their vocational skills with income-generating opportunities and digital markets. While the latest announcement does not provide figures for businesses launched, products sold online or income generated after the training, it highlights the use of digital marketing and e-commerce as part of the skills offered to participants. The initiative adds to ongoing efforts to expand access to technology and market-oriented skills for women in remote areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
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