Changing life of Transgender people in Pakistan

The progress of a country dwells in the development of mindsets. Killing the orthodox and stereotypical thoughts and bearing the fact that everyone living around us have same and equal value for life what we enjoy. 

Acceptance of transgender people always remained a disputatious topic. Pakistan is one of those third world countries where transgender people are usually limited to selected occupations 

They don’t only face discriminatory attitude, because of limited choice they are also compelled to live in poverty. 

Transgender people are misbehaved and face discrimination when it’s about earning their bread and butter. Both public and private sector organizations usually avoid offering them any meaningful jobs. 

In an effort to change this rigid mindset, Rawalpindi campus of the National College of Arts (NCA) has taken an initiative to hire several transgender people. 

NCA Director Dr. Nadeem Omar Tarar told Express Tribune that the motivation behind this initiative was to create opportunities for transgender people in a safe work environment. 

Transgender people want respectable jobs and that is difficult for them as per society's stereotype mindset is quite inflexible. 

Dr. Tarar also said that “[Students and teachers] were shocked at first, and there were certain inhibitions on how they would adjust and address [transgender staffers].” 

“But the gender confusion gradually passed, and Bubbly, who works at the canteen, is now very popular among students. Some call her aunty or baji (older sister), and the whole campus has accepted them for who they are,” he said. 

“Instead of assisting them in starting up small businesses, there is a need to provide them with jobs in secure environments, where they are able to safely settle in.” he added. 

Though Sindh Govt. announced jobs for transgender people and recruited them but this was a step at a very small level and so many people remained jobless. 

The students, if they see transgender people working around them, will definitely accept these people and this is a new beginning in life of so many socially unaccepted who are a citizen of the country we all live in.

Link related to blog: Tribune