The Higher Education Commission of Pakistan has announced the nationwide rollout of a fully funded online skills programme titled “Take The Lead – Empowering Women Across Pakistan,” launched under the Prime Minister’s Youth Programme in collaboration with the PAGE Foundation. The initiative carries an international certification from eCornell, the online learning arm of Cornell University in the United States, and is being offered entirely free of cost to eligible female students across the country, with a national target of reaching 10,000 women in this current phase of the programme.
The programme is structured around 22 active learning hours and is designed to be completed within a flexible window of up to four weeks, making it accessible to students managing academic and personal commitments alongside their studies. Participants will engage with a curriculum covering a broad range of professionally relevant areas including leadership, entrepreneurship, time management, career development, and digital marketing, delivered through interactive online learning sessions supported by expert coaching and mentorship from programme facilitators. The eligibility criteria require applicants to be female students aged 18 years and above, with a working proficiency in English and reliable access to the internet. The combination of an internationally recognised certification, a no-cost model, and a flexible online format positions the programme as a meaningful opportunity for female students in universities across Pakistan, including those outside major urban centres where access to high-quality professional development resources has historically been more limited.
Female students interested in enrolling can submit their applications through the official registration portal at https://www.mexoxo.com/page-take-the-lead, with the registration deadline set for April 15, 2026. For those requiring guidance on the application process, a step-by-step registration tutorial is also available at https://vod.video.cornell.edu/media/Take+the+Lead+Enrollment+-+PAGE+Foundation/1_azvqx0gs. Given the proximity of the deadline and the limited national intake of 10,000 participants, eligible students are strongly encouraged to complete their registration at the earliest opportunity. The initiative reflects a broader push by the Higher Education Commission and the federal government to close the gender gap in professional skills development and equip Pakistan’s female student population with tools that extend beyond their formal academic programmes and into the workforce and entrepreneurial landscape.
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