Punjab trains over 11,000 transgender persons under Pehchaan programme

WEB DESK: Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif’s flagship skill development initiatives have achieved a major milestone in social inclusion by integrating transgender persons into the province’s mainstream workforce. Under the Pehchaan Skill Development Programme for Transgenders, more than 11,000 transgender individuals have completed technical training, marking one of the largest such efforts in the country.

According to a briefing given to the Chief Minister, 470 trained transgender persons are now employed, while training for a new batch of 1,300 is currently under way. Trainees are also being equipped with machines and essential tools to help them start small businesses and achieve financial independence.

The Pehchaan programme is part of CM Maryam’S broader Hunarmand (Skilled Youth) initiative, which has trained over 180,000 young people across Punjab within a few months—a record figure. Of these, more than 75,000 are currently employed, and 15,000 have secured jobs with international organisations.

The province has also seen a 21% increase in technical training enrolment compared to the last five years. Other key projects under the same vision include the Garment City Project, where 350 female trainees are now employed, and the Main Digital (I Am Digital) programme, which allocates Rs1 billion to train 3,000 rural women in IT skills.

Presiding over a meeting on the Skill Development and Entrepreneurship Department, CM Maryam was informed that training modules, new curricula, and international outreach initiatives are being expanded to include gender-inclusive and industry-specific programmes.

The Chief Minister said that providing economic empowerment and dignity to transgender persons was central to her government’s vision. “Every citizen deserves the chance to learn, earn, and live with respect, our transgender community is no exception,” she stated.

By integrating transgender persons into the formal economy, the Punjab government aims to make skill development not only a tool for growth, but also for social equality and inclusion.