Supporting trans persons

Provincial meetings have been conducted in all four provinces to reduce the trans-phobic stigma

The government, in association with the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Population Fund and civil society members, has reached out to the transgender community in the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi to provide them with material support. The federal human rights ministry, which operates a National Implementation Committee, conducted a preliminary socio-economic rapid needs assessment to identify coronavirus-affected people belonging to the trans community.

Led by people who are transgender themselves, 75 people in the twin cities who are transgender were surveyed. Thereafter, 120 bags of rations were distributed amongst members of the community. According to the federal human rights minister, the government is trying to improve the living conditions of these people. Provincial consultative meetings have been conducted in all four provinces to reduce the trans-phobic stigma and discrimination with the transgender community.

This is a very welcome step as these people are suffering in silence — mostly relying on performing in events or seeking alms on the streets or doing other odds and ends. No one gives them a job either, mostly because people cannot accept them for who they are and because many people who are transgender do not possess the requisite education.

On that end, however, there was a shift recently by the Punjab police who, when advertising new posts in the police department, expanded eligibility to people who are transgender. A dedicated cell to resolve complaints of people who are transgender was also set up there. In the federal capital, the largest tertiary hospital there, the Pakistan Institute of the Medical Sciences has dedicated beds for such people. People who are transgender, like the rest of us, are humans and are entitled to inviolable right to pursue happiness how they see fit. The government realises that and has embarked in a welcome direction.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 25^th, 2020.

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