Transgender people now in social security net

The Ministry of Human Rights (MoHR) has started social inclusion of vulnerable transgender people in social protection and healthcare settings and social security safety nets in light of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the country, a spokesperson shared on Wednesday.

He said that the transgender community continues to experience discrimination from service providers and staff members that have left them poorer and more vulnerable in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. He stressed that the main aim of the programme is to provide safety to the transgender community in the twin cities.

The official shared that the initiative is the first outcome of the MoHR and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Rights Taskforce on COVID-19 for collaboration on efforts through a human rights lens.

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He further stated that Islamabad and Rawalpindi were a part of the assessment while the assessment itself was disaggregated along multiple categories, including age, disability if any, health status, pre-COVID-19 employment/income generation capacity, residence, and any experience of gender based violence.

The official also said that the ministry is on board to ensure ownership from the government. He added that there are further vulnerabilities in the transgender community as well, including older people, those living with disabilities and compromised immune systems, and the homeless.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 21^st, 2021.