M Atif Ismail
MULTAN, Jun 18 (APP):Thousands of girls in South Punjab are quietly changing the future, not with loud slogans, but with laptops, hardwork, and the will to support their families.
In places like Multan, Burewala, Muzaffargarh, Vehari, and some others women with Arts, Science and IT backgrounds are working from their homes and making a name for themselves in the online freelancing world.
Among them is Nawal, a graduate from Multan, who started freelancing during the final year of her studies. “At first, I didn’t know how to find clients or projects. I watched free tutorials on YouTube and took some online courses. Slowly, I began offering services like data entry and content writing. Now I earn enough to support my home expenses,” she shares.
From Burewala, Ayesha, also with a science background, also worked remarkably . She began designing presentations and writing reports for international clients. “I had no technical degree but learned software skills online. I get small projects regularly, and every dollar I earn brings relief to my family,” Ayesha says with pride.
Saadia, an IT expert from Muzaffargarh, has been offering web design and development services for over two years. She also teaches Artificial Intelligence in government school following cooperation of an NGO. Talking to APP, she stated, It’s not just about income. People respect me now for what I do.
From Vehari, Mashal, a graduate in Computer Sciences, works as a digital marketing expert. “It was easy to convince my relatives that working online is real work as my husband is also freelancer. Now I’ve trained five other girls in my area,” she says. Mashal is also planning to launch a small digital skills course for local women.
The women are not just earning for themselves. They are bringing a social shift but making their families believe in girls’ education and skills.
According to Sheikh Asim, Member of Multan Chamber of Commerce and Industry and head of IT Committee, over 200,000 freelancers are currently active in South Punjab. “Many of them are girls who work from their homes and support entire families. It’s a quiet but powerful transformation,” he said.
Freelancing is giving girls in small towns the chance to become self-sufficient without stepping outside. They work on platforms like Fiverr, Upwork, and Freelancer.com, offering services such as content writing, social media management, coding, and design. Some even earn in dollars, which helps them manage household expenses and sometimes even save.
Some have taken free online courses, many struggle to find reliable mentors. “I learned everything by trial and error. If I had a teacher in the beginning, I could have done better,” Nawal mentioned.
Despite the hurdles, the trend is growing. Girls are forming small learning groups, helping each other with projects, sharing clients, and even creating joint accounts to build portfolios. Social media also plays a major role in promoting their work and bringing them closer to the global market.
Local communities are slowly changing too. Families that were once unsure are now proud. Now they encourage me and my sister too ,” says Saadia.
This wave of women freelancers is reshaping the story of South Punjab. From quiet homes in small towns, a strong, skilled, and dedicated group of young women is proving that education and digital skills can turn into real support for families even in places where opportunities are rare.
