Punjab She Threads Programme 2026: Rs 15,000 Monthly Stipend, Textile Training and Registration for Rural Women

A programme for rural women entering textile work

She Threads is a Punjab programme that trains rural women for work in the textile and garment industry. The official Women Development Department page describes its aim as economic empowerment of rural females in the textile sector, and as turning marginalised rural women into a skilled, formal workforce.

Training takes place at partner textile factories, so trainees learn on industrial equipment in a factory setting, not in a general classroom alone.

It is not a cash assistance programme, a university scholarship or a business loan. Its value is the skill, the certificate and the placement support that follow the course, together with the stipend paid during training.

Who runs it, and who funds the training

The Women Development Department of the Government of Punjab sponsors She Threads, and the Punjab Skills Development Fund (PSDF) executes it in collaboration with the department. PSDF is a Punjab skills development fund set up by the Government of Punjab, and it funds demand-driven skills training through partner providers.

The curriculum was developed with the Technical Education and Vocational Training Authority (TEVTA) and the textile industry, according to November 2026 reporting from Faisalabad. Programme reporting names Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif in connection with the initiative's vision, and Faisalabad reporting says 1,150 women trained in 2025-26, with a target of 2,500 women trained by June 2027.

Age, residence and domicile

Applicants must be women aged between 18 and 45 years, from rural or less-developed areas of Punjab, and seeking employment or self-employment. The official department page lists five programme districts: Sialkot, Sheikhupura, Faisalabad, Lahore and Multan.

November 2026 registration reports name centres only in Lahore and Faisalabad, so a woman from another programme district should confirm whether her nearest centre has an open batch before travelling.

Applicants must hold Punjab domicile. November reports from Faisalabad and Lahore both name domicile as a required document, alongside a Computerised National Identity Card (CNIC).

Residence in Punjab alone is not presented as enough; ask the centre if you do not hold Punjab domicile.

Education: why you must check with the centre

Education is the one eligibility point where November sources do not agree. Reporting from Faisalabad and Lahore in November 2026 says applicants need at least a matriculation qualification.

Older programme material and a June 2026 guide say middle level, class 8 pass, is enough. A later programme summary says middle to matriculation depending on the trade stream.

The safest reading is that the required level may differ by centre and by trade. Ask the centre for the education rule for the exact course you want, and take your original academic documents so staff can check them at screening.

Do not treat a middle pass or a matric certificate alone as a guarantee of admission for every course.

Who cannot apply at a particular factory

Shortlisted applicants must sign an affidavit declaring no previous association with the relevant industry partner as a trainee or employee. That rule is centre-specific: it bars a previous association with that factory, not necessarily with every textile employer.

If you have previously trained or worked at the factory where you want to apply, tell staff at the first visit and ask whether that batch is open to you. Seats are also limited, so meeting the age, domicile and education rules does not guarantee a place.

The three-month course mix

Training lasts three months and is free, including training materials. November reporting from Faisalabad says the course is 80 percent practical work and 20 percent classroom instruction, including soft skills.

The official department page adds foundation skills for the modern workplace, including digital financial literacy, communication and teamwork. Start dates, daily timings and course availability follow the factory's batch plan, so the centre, not a central calendar, is the source for the next intake.

Courses named in November reports

November centre reports name industrial stitching machine operation as the main course in Faisalabad, and apparel supervision as a course in Lahore. The wider programme also covers apparel planning and merchandising, pattern drafting, quality assurance and pattern cutting, according to Faisalabad reporting.

The official department page says there are 10 key trades in total, but November reports do not name all 10, so this guide names only the trades corroborated in November centre reporting and does not assume every trade is open at every centre.

Stipend, transport and materials

Trainees receive Rs 15,000 a month during training, and November reporting from Faisalabad says that amount includes a transport allowance. The official department page says trainees receive Rs 15,000 directly each month during training to cover expenses, and training materials are free.

The stipend is a training stipend, not a salary and not a cash assistance payment. No November centre report used here states the payment dates, the payment method or whether a trainee who leaves early keeps any part of the stipend, so ask the centre how and when it is paid before you enrol.

Before you leave home

Take originals, not only photocopies, and keep copies for your own record. If your CNIC or domicile details do not match your academic documents, ask the centre before the visit whether a correction is needed, because a mismatch at screening can delay enrolment.

At the centre

Ask four questions before you submit anything:

Write down the answers, because that note helps you compare centres without relying on memory if a later announcement changes the course or schedule.

• Which course has seats?
• What education rule applies to that course?
• What the training schedule is?
• How the stipend is paid?

Lahore centre

Registration in Lahore has begun under the Women Development Department, according to November 2026 reporting. Training is arranged at Shahkam Industries on Multan Road, and the course combines classroom teaching with practical training.

Information about registration can also be obtained through assistant commissioners, union council secretaries and relevant district offices.

Faisalabad centres

Faisalabad registration is handled through Masood Textile Mills and Alpha Knitting, both offering industrial stitching machine operation. The department has asked the district administration to help inform eligible women in rural areas accessible from Sheikhupura-Faisalabad Road and Jhang Road.

An information point is not a registration desk unless the centre confirms it, so confirm where to submit the application itself.

Screening and independent verification

After you submit an application, staff record your personal information and previous training experience, hold a brief interview and verify eligibility. An independent firm then verifies applicants' profiles, and only verified candidates are shortlisted, according to Faisalabad reporting.

Registration at the factory is therefore not the same as enrolment: the first visit starts the process, and verification decides the shortlist. No November centre report used here gives a fixed verification time, a shortlist date or a waiting-list rule, and no one should be paid to speed up verification.

Affidavit and enrolment

Shortlisted applicants must sign an affidavit confirming the accuracy of their information and declaring no previous association with the relevant industry partner as a trainee or employee. Only applicants who complete all prescribed steps are formally enrolled.

Read the affidavit before signing it, and ask staff to explain any clause you do not understand, especially where it covers previous employment at that factory.

Certification

Successful trainees receive certification from the Punjab Board of Technical Education (PBTE), according to Faisalabad reporting. PBTE certifies technical training, and its certificate is the formal record of the trade you completed, so keep the original and a copy for employers and later training applications.

The official page lists 2,500 certified women trained as a programme outcome, but that is a target and outcome claim, not a promise that every trainee in a batch will pass.

Placement support, not a promised job

The official department page uses the words guaranteed job placement and guaranteed employment after training. Other programme reporting uses softer language: facilitate formal job placements, support in securing jobs, and placement support with participating textile companies.

This guide uses placement support, because a guarantee for every trainee cannot be verified from November centre reporting, and placement depends on trade, assessment result, factory vacancies and location. Ask the centre, before you enrol, which partner employers took trainees from the last batch and in which trades.

She Threads versus SEHR

SEHR, or Skill Enhancement Through Home Reach, is a different Women Development Department programme covering digital skills and hospitality tracks, and its registration was reported as stopped on 8 October 2026 while the certification process was updated. She Threads is a textile programme taught in person at factories, with a Rs 15,000 monthly stipend during training.

Do not use SEHR eligibility, courses or registration dates for She Threads. The test is the trade: industrial stitching, apparel supervision or another textile trade at a partner factory is She Threads material; online digital skills or hospitality should be checked as SEHR, and only if its registration is open on the day you apply.

She Threads versus scholarships and loans

She Threads is also different from the Punjab scholarship and loan guides readers often find alongside it on this site. The CM Punjab Honhaar Scholarship programme is a university scholarship, not factory training.

The Prime Minister Youth Loan Scheme is a business loan programme, not a training stipend. The Punjab Rozgar Scheme guide covers a provincial employment and loan scheme, not a textile course.

If you want a loan or a scholarship, use the relevant guide and its own eligibility rules.

No fee, no agent

Training is free, training materials are free, and no November centre report used here names a registration fee. Never pay a fee, a top-up, an advance or a verification charge to register, to speed up verification or to secure a seat.

A person who asks for money for any of those steps is not acting on behalf of the programme as described in official and centre reporting; report the approach through the centre or district office and keep any message or receipt as evidence.

Share documents only at the centre

Show your original CNIC, domicile certificate and academic documents at the participating factory during screening, as November reporting describes. Do not send copies of your CNIC, your CNIC number, a PIN or a one-time code to a person who contacts you by message, call or social media about She Threads, and do not share those details with this website.

This guide does not collect applications, and no application is made by reading this guide. If a message claims to be from the programme and asks for money or personal codes, treat it as a scam attempt and check with the centre or district office through a number or office you already trust.