The initiative will provide market-oriented vocational training to women from BISP beneficiary families in Karachi and Shaheed Benazirabad, supporting employment and self-employment opportunities.
ISLAMABAD, October 28, 2026: The Benazir Income Support Programme (BISP) and SZABIST ZABTech have joined hands to launch a pilot vocational training initiative for 50 women from beneficiary families in Karachi and Shaheed Benazirabad.
According to a BISP press release, Senator Rubina Khalid, Chairperson of BISP, met with Waheed Mahesar, Executive Director of SZABIST ZABTech, to discuss the proposed initiative, which aims to equip women with practical skills relevant to the job market.
The pilot project is being undertaken on the direction of First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari as part of efforts to promote women’s economic empowerment. Under the programme, 25 women from each district will receive three months of technical and vocational training.
Training to Cover IT, Hospitality and Solar Technology
The training will focus on market-oriented trades designed to improve participants’ employability and help them establish their own businesses.
The courses will cover hospitality, information technology and digital skills, beauty services, stitching, handicrafts, mobile phone repair, solar technology and entrepreneurship.
Participants will receive a monthly stipend to help meet transportation expenses. They will also be provided with toolkits after successfully completing their training, while post-training support will help connect graduates with employment and self-employment opportunities.
BISP Highlights Women’s Economic Empowerment
During the meeting, Senator Rubina Khalid appreciated the First Lady’s continued support for BISP, particularly the Benazir Hunarmand Programme (BHP), which seeks to complement social protection measures with skills development and sustainable livelihood opportunities.
She said the initiative reflected the First Lady’s commitment to translating women’s empowerment into practical action by helping women acquire skills that can improve their economic prospects.
The programme aims to expand opportunities for women from low-income households by providing training that can help them enter the workforce or pursue independent income-generating activities.
SZABIST ZABTech Expresses Interest in Long-Term Partnership
Representatives of SZABIST ZABTech appreciated BISP’s Benazir Hunarmand Programme and expressed interest in establishing a long-term partnership to extend skills training opportunities to more beneficiary families.
Both sides expressed hope that the pilot project would provide a foundation for broader cooperation in vocational education, skills development and women’s economic inclusion.
The meeting was also attended by Dr Asim Ijaz, Director General of Conditional Cash Transfers at BISP; Humaira Farooq, Focal Person for BHP; Aoun Sahi, Training Specialist for BHP; and Arshma Shah, Programme Manager at SZABIST ZABTech.
The initiative represents an effort to strengthen the link between social protection and practical skills development, enabling women to pursue employment, entrepreneurship and more sustainable livelihoods.
