In a progressive turn of events, the Supreme Court is backing the push for equal rights to members of transgender communities across provinces. We welcome Chief Justice Mian Saqib Nisar’s comments on implementing equitable practices and mainstreaming members of the transgender community without stigma and prejudice. Exceptionally commendable is the CJP’s acknowledgement of the need to rehabilitate and protect. Decades of discriminatory practices, stereotyping and biased mentalities have marginalised the community, forcing it to miss out on opportunities in most areas.
Sessions such as the one on August 9th organised by the Law and Justice Commission to open discourse on the rights of members of the transgender community will need to take place more frequently as these remarks can only serve as introductory with much work remaining to be achieved. The Punjab School Education Department, however, has already catapulted into action by issuing a directive to education authorities, both private and public, to guarantee equal treatment for third-gender children applying for admissions and once accepted to programmes. This is a laudable initiative and other provincial education departments are implored to appropriately follow suit. According to the 2017 census, Punjab houses 64% of the country’s 10,400 transgender population.
With updated policies in education and employment, stakeholders must further ensure that a literal course of action is taken. For example, the change in education policy in Punjab must include how to manage certain situations that will arise, considering the bias parents instill in their children at home, which may give rise to cases of bullying. Other situations may also cause issues such as the use of bathrooms in schools and workplaces, due to which a coherent policy needs to be developed. The CJP’s perspective on transgender rights being synonymous with human rights is one that needs to be adopted by the majority of citizens in this country. One cannot control whether one is born a eunuch, hermaphrodite, female or male. Regardless, the fact stands that we are all human beings and must be treated as such.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 12th, 2018.
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