Hope for transgenders?

Time and again, we see the government machinery turn a blind eye to the plights and needs of transgender people

The Sindh Police, it seems, is all set to receive a policy overhaul. The province’s chief minister has given a go-ahead to a comprehensive reform package that aims to update the force’s workings on several fronts. Some of the measures envisioned are the establishment of model police stations and a special police branch along with upgrading Sindh police personnel’s pay scales to bring them on a par with those of their counterparts in Punjab. It also includes a plan to provide relief and employment to police personnel maimed or blinded in the line of duty. Most significant, however, is the Sindh chief minister’s announcement to allocate a quota for transgender persons in not only the police force but all provincial government departments. Although it is premature to celebrate given Pakistan’s previous track record with positive announcements, the decision if carried to term has the potential to improve the conditions of transgender people in a lasting way.

The transgender people in Pakistan face extreme marginalisation is no secret. This marginalisation, among other things, is brought on by the stigma they face from the wider society and the lack of opportunities available to them. Interestingly, the two issues are mutually reinforcing – stigma results in lack of opportunities for transgender people and the latter, in turn, further fuels derision and violence against them. In that respect alone, the decision to reserve a government employment quota will go a long way in improving their lives.

But that is not all. Time and again, we have heard the transgender community point out the hurdles to justice they face. Time and again, we have also seen the government machinery turn a blind eye to their plight and needs. In the face of such institutional negligence, allowing transgender persons to be part of government departments will perhaps result in some developing sensitivity towards the issues they face. In particular, employing transgender police officers will, at the very least, improve the community’s access to justice and protection. 

Published in The Express Tribune, October 8^th, 2019.

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