A trans-person’s quest to earn through dignified livelihood

ISLAMABAD: After being denied dignified job opportunities, a large proportion of the transgender community is forced to earn their livelihoods as sex workers or on-call dancers.

But some transgender persons overcome harsh social attitudes, earning money in a dignified manner.

Moona Naz, 29, is among such transgender persons.

“I could have opted to earn [money] through various degrading professions, which are socially and religiously unacceptable. But I did not opt for such income opportunities because I always wanted to adopt a profession which will tell the world that a trans-person can also earn in a respectable manner,” Moona Naz told The Express Tribune.



Naz has been teaching Holy Quran for the past nine or 10 years in addition to providing a pick and drop service using a two-wheeler through an on-demand online application.

“Maybe I am the first transgender person who is providing this service, but I have kept my identity secret as I am scared that if people know that the person providing them pick and drop service is a transgender person, they might refuse to use it or ridicule me or I may get fired for being a transgender,” said Naz.

She says she wants to keep this job at all costs.

Naz recently started teaching Holy Quran for free to members of the transgender community in Islamabad. She wants more students to enroll in her Quran classes at the Shemale Association for Fundamental Rights (Safar) office near Bari Imam.

“Currently, I am completing graduation studies. I am also a Hafiz and teaching people across the globe using various online applications. My students are mostly based in the US, the UK and Gulf countries,” said Naz.

Previously, Naz herself worked as security supervisor and human resource manager in various Gulf countries for more than 10 years. But she was rudely treated by her compatriots.

She quit her job because of such insulting behavior and returned to Pakistan.

According to her, she performed Hajj and several Umrahs during her stay in Saudi Arabia.

Naz faced numerous challenges to prove her worth to members of her own family.

She maintained that as long as she could remember, she had suffered mental, physical and sexual abuse.

“I was just six or seven years old when my family realised I am a transgender {person}. Since then, I have been ridiculed by almost all of my family, including my father. My father used to brutally beat me up and imposed senseless restrictions,” said Naz.



She said she used to hide for hours just to avoid being beaten up by her father.

“When my maternal and paternal uncles and cousins came to know that I am a transgender [person], they sexually abused me and called me inappropriate names,” said Naz.

According to her, she was also sexually abused by her teachers in Madressahs where she learnt Holy Quran.

“I only strove to learn the Quran by heart and this is why I remained silent over this cruelty for years,” maintained Naz.

Naz now aspires to launch a Quran Academy where she could teach Holy Quran, but for that she needs financial assistance.