Scholarships

You Go Girl Initiative 2026 — UN Women Pakistan Korea Exchange for Young Women

Faseeh Sultan

July 4, 2026
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You Go Girl Initiative 2026 — UN Women Pakistan Is Sending 160 Young Women to South Korea

If you are a young woman from Punjab or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with an interest in technology, digital skills, or entrepreneurship — there is a fully supported programme being run by UN Women Pakistan right now that could take you to South Korea. The “You Go Girl” Initiative, funded through the KOICA-backed Digitalization for Women Economic Empowerment (D4WEE) project, will provide 160 women aged 18–35 with international knowledge exchange visits to the Republic of Korea, combining digital skills training, leadership development, mentorship, and real exposure to one of Asia’s most advanced tech economies. This article explains what the programme is, who it is for, what participants receive, and how to position yourself to be selected when applications open for beneficiaries.

Detail	Information
Programme	You Go Girl Initiative
Implemented By	UN Women Pakistan (under KOICA-funded D4WEE project)
Beneficiary Target	160 young women from Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Age Range	18–35 years
Programme Period	2026–2027
Focus Areas	Digital skills, leadership, mentorship, Korea knowledge exchange
Country of Exchange Visit	Republic of Korea (South Korea)
Cost to Participant	Free — programme is fully supported
Official Source	UN Women Asia-Pacific

🎓 About the You Go Girl Initiative

The You Go Girl Initiative is not a scholarship — it is a structured capacity-building and exchange programme specifically designed to bring young Pakistani women into the digital economy. It sits under the broader Digitalization for Women Economic Empowerment (D4WEE) project, a flagship initiative of UN Women Pakistan co-funded by KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency), South Korea’s official development agency.

The programme was piloted in 2025, when UN Women Pakistan directly opened individual applications for a first cohort of women in tech. In the 2026–2027 cycle, UN Women is scaling the initiative significantly — targeting 160 participants across two provinces — and is doing so through civil society organisations (CSOs) who will manage participant recruitment, logistics, and mentorship on the ground.

What makes this programme stand out is its combination of local capacity-building and international exposure. Participants do not just attend a workshop in Pakistan; they actually travel to South Korea for structured institutional visits, meetings with Korean tech companies and organisations, networking sessions, and cultural exchange. Past participants from the 2025 pilot described the Korea visit as transformative — both professionally and personally.

For young women in Punjab and KP who face structural barriers to entering the digital economy, this is one of the most direct, practical, and genuinely supportive opportunities available right now.

🎓 What the Programme Includes

Here is what participating women receive through the You Go Girl Initiative:

Knowledge exchange visit to South Korea — structured 4–5 day programme including institutional visits, technology sector exposure, networking with Korean professionals, and cultural exchange activities
Digital skills training — covering digital literacy, technology tools and platforms, and career-ready digital competencies
Leadership development — workshops, sessions, and coaching focused on personal and professional growth
Mentorship and career guidance — paired with mentors to support employment pathways, entrepreneurship, and startup ecosystem exposure
Alumni engagement — after the Korea visit, participants remain connected through an alumni network with ongoing mentoring, digital networking, and knowledge-sharing sessions
All logistics managed — travel, visa support, halal-certified meals, accommodation, interpretation services, and photography and documentation are all arranged by the implementing CSO on behalf of participants

The programme is fully supported — participants are not expected to cover their own costs. (verify exact cost coverage details with your implementing CSO when recruitment opens)

🎓 Who This Programme Is For

The You Go Girl Initiative is designed specifically for:

✅ Young women aged 18–35 living in Punjab or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

✅ Women with an interest in technology, digital work, entrepreneurship, or leadership

✅ Women who want international exposure but have not had access to funded opportunities

✅ Women at an early or mid-career stage looking to enter or grow in the digital economy

✅ Women connected to organisations, universities, incubators, or community groups that could nominate them

❌ Not a fit if:

❌ You are based outside Punjab or KP (other provinces are not targeted in this cycle)

❌ You are above 35 years of age

❌ You are a male applicant (the programme is exclusively for women)

❌ You hold Korean citizenship (cultural exchange is Pakistan → Korea direction)

🎓 Focus Areas and What You Will Experience in Korea

The programme is built around several interconnected pillars. When the implementing CSO designs the Korea visit, activities will be drawn from these areas:

Digital Skills and Technology Training in digital literacy, working with digital tools and platforms, and hands-on exposure to how Korean organisations and tech companies operate.

Leadership and Mentorship Personal development workshops, career coaching, and mentorship pairing with experienced professionals — both during the programme and through the alumni network afterward.

Entrepreneurship and Business Exposure Visits to startup ecosystems, tech incubators, and business development environments in South Korea — helping participants see how successful ventures are built and scaled.

International Networking Direct engagement with Korean professionals, institutions, and organisations — building professional connections that extend well beyond the programme itself.

Cultural Exchange Korea is one of Asia’s most dynamic societies. Participants will experience Korean culture, society, and daily life alongside the structured professional programme — an experience that very few young women from rural or peri-urban Pakistan have had access to before.

🎓 How to Get Involved — Step by Step

This is the most important section for individual beneficiaries to understand. Here is exactly how the access pathway works:

Step 1 — Understand the programme structure UN Women Pakistan does not select individual participants directly. Instead, it funds a qualified Pakistani CSO (in partnership with a Korean CSO) to implement the programme, including participant recruitment, selection, and management.

Step 2 — Watch for the implementing CSO announcement The CSO selection process closes on 13 July 2026. Once a CSO is selected, it will announce its own participant recruitment — likely through its own social media, website, and community networks. This typically happens within 4–8 weeks of programme implementation beginning.

Step 3 — Follow UN Women Pakistan for updates UN Women Pakistan will announce the selected implementing partner and beneficiary recruitment details through its official channels. Follow:

UN Women Pakistan on the official website
UN Women Pakistan on social media (@unwomen_pak on X/Twitter, and their Facebook page)

Step 4 — Prepare your profile now When recruitment opens, women who already have a clear narrative about their digital interests, career goals, and community impact will have a stronger application. Start thinking about your story now — what you do, what you want to learn in Korea, and how you will bring that back to your community.

Step 5 — Connect with local CSOs in your area Women who are already connected to registered CSOs, women’s organisations, tech hubs, or university societies in Punjab or KP are likely to hear about recruitment first. If you are not already connected to such networks, now is a good time to engage.

🎓 Why South Korea — Why This Opportunity Matters

South Korea is not just a travel destination — it is one of the world’s most digitally advanced societies. It consistently ranks among the top countries globally for internet infrastructure, digital government services, and technology innovation. Korean companies like Samsung, LG, Kakao, and Naver are global leaders in their fields.

For young women from Pakistan who are building careers in digital spaces, spending time inside Korean tech institutions, meeting professionals who have navigated similar challenges, and seeing a functioning digital economy up close is the kind of exposure that changes trajectories. You cannot replicate that in a classroom or a YouTube video.

What makes this different from a typical training programme is the peer network it creates. Past participants of the 2025 pilot were not just trained and sent home — they became part of an alumni community, continued receiving mentorship, and stayed connected to the organisations they visited. That long-term network effect is what elevates this from a short trip to a genuine career investment.

For women in Punjab and KP specifically, where structural barriers to tech careers remain significant, this kind of backed, international, UN-supported exposure is rare. It is worth preparing for it seriously.

🎓 Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I apply directly to UN Women Pakistan as an individual? A: Not directly. UN Women Pakistan funds a CSO to run the programme, and that CSO recruits participants. Watch UN Women Pakistan’s social media and official website for the announcement of the implementing partner, then follow their recruitment process.

Q: Is there a fee to participate? A: No. The programme is fully supported. Travel, accommodation, meals, and logistics for the Korea visit are arranged by the implementing CSO. (Verify exact cost coverage with the CSO when recruitment opens.)

Q: Do I need a passport before applying? A: It is strongly advisable to have a valid passport, or to begin the process of obtaining one, well before recruitment opens. The Korea visit requires a visa, and having a passport ready will significantly speed up your processing if selected.

Q: What if I am from a city outside Lahore or Peshawar — can I still apply? A: Yes — the programme covers Punjab and KP as provinces, not just the capital cities. Women from smaller cities and districts within these provinces are eligible. Confirm exact geographic coverage with the implementing CSO when they announce recruitment.

Q: Do I need formal qualifications in technology? A: Based on the programme’s stated focus on digital literacy and entry-level digital competencies, formal tech qualifications are not necessarily required. The programme is designed to build skills, not only reward existing ones. However, demonstrating genuine interest and engagement with technology will strengthen your candidacy.

Q: What happened in the 2025 pilot — who was selected? A: In 2025, UN Women Pakistan ran a pilot round of the You Go Girl exchange with a smaller cohort, accepting applications through a Google Form. Women with backgrounds in tech, entrepreneurship, and women’s digital empowerment were the primary profile. The 2026–2027 cycle is significantly larger at 160 participants.

🎓 Official Source and Contact

Programme page: You Go Girl Initiative — UN Women Asia-Pacific
UN Women Pakistan country page: UN Women Pakistan
CFP contact person: Abira Farooq
CFP contact email (for CSOs, not individual applicants): abira.farooq@unwomen.org
CFP contact telephone: 0092-326-8474580

Note: The email and phone above are for the CSO procurement process, not individual applicant queries. For individual participation inquiries, monitor UN Women Pakistan’s official social media channels.

🎓 Summary Table

Detail	Information
Programme Name	You Go Girl Initiative
Implemented By	UN Women Pakistan + selected CSO
Funder	KOICA (Korea International Cooperation Agency)
Project	Digitalization for Women Economic Empowerment (D4WEE)
Target Beneficiaries	160 young women, ages 18–35
Provinces Covered	Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Exchange Destination	Republic of Korea (South Korea)
Visit Duration	Approximately 4–5 days (verify on official website)
Programme Duration	2026–2027
Cost to Participants	Free (fully supported)
Focus Areas	Digital skills, leadership, mentorship, Korea exchange, alumni network
How to Apply	Watch for implementing CSO recruitment announcement after July 2026
Official Link	UN Women Asia-Pacific