For Women Talent Was Never the Problem. Access Was.

Some of the most valuable skills in Pakistan have traditionally been practiced behind closed doors.

A woman embroiders a dress for a wedding. Another makes pickles from a recipe passed down through generations. Someone turns clay into beautiful pottery, teaches children after school or creates products by hand that would easily find buyers if they could reach the right market. The talent is there. So is the hard work. What has often been missing is a way to take that talent beyond the home and connect it with opportunity.

For millions of women, especially those living in underserved communities, entering the formal marketplace has never been easy. Physical distance, limited mobility, lack of market access and unfamiliarity with digital tools can turn a valuable skill into something that remains largely invisible beyond the immediate community.

Technology is changing that. PTCL’s Ba-Ikhtiar initiative was built around the belief that connectivity can do more than bring people online. It can help people take their skills, ideas and ambitions further.

The journey began in Haripur, where 100 women were given an opportunity to build on the skills they already possessed. In partnership with the Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund (PPAF), PTCL trained the participants in areas such as digital marketing, financial literacy and entrepreneurship.

The objective was not to change who these women were or what they knew. It was to give them the means to turn what they knew into something more. And the results began to speak for themselves.

Women who had once relied primarily on local networks started exploring digital marketplaces, building online businesses and presenting their products to customers beyond their immediate surroundings. Some went even further. Farhat ul Ain and Marrium Hussain took their embroidery to GITEX 2024 in Dubai, giving international audiences an opportunity to see the skill and craftsmanship that had originated in Haripur.

It was a small but significant shift: from making something for someone they knew to creating something that could reach someone they had never met. That is the promise of digital inclusion.

It is also why Ba-Ikhtiar has continued to evolve. What began with a focused cohort in Haripur has expanded to women in underserved communities across Pakistan. The programme now covers a broader range of livelihoods, from stitching, pottery and handicrafts to food preservation, online tutoring and organic cosmetics.

The digital component has evolved alongside it. Women are being introduced to practical skills that can help them navigate the online world with greater confidence, from communicating online to accessing essential digital services and understanding online safety.

Because having a product is only one part of running a business. Knowing how to photograph it, promote it, communicate with a customer, manage a transaction and protect oneself online can be just as important.

This is where PTCL’s vision for connectivity comes into focus. A connected Pakistan is not simply one where more people have access to a network. It is one where connectivity creates possibilities. Through Ba-Ikhtiar, PTCL is working to make that possibility more tangible for women.

Also Read: PTCL onboards IRM to deliver Ba-Ikhtiar digital literacy component across 22 districts