Many members of the transgender community are commonly viewed as objects for pleasure and they are compelled by their circumstances to make their livings through prostitution, notes a first-ever Punjab Welfare Policy for Transgender.
The policy, which has been drafted by the Social Welfare Department (SWD) Punjab, points out in detail the factors that create harsh living environment for the transgender. "Abusive treatment by law enforcement personnel is a common complaint by the transgender community," reads the policy, a copy of which is available with Business Recorder.
It says that existing literature and recent empirical interactions with selected representatives of the transgender community reveal following issues as highlights of their circumstances in Pakistan. Most people in Pakistan do not consider them as an integral or acceptable part of their community.
It further notes that massive rejections are faced by the transgender in almost all the parts of the country. Usually, they are not encouraged to live amongst regular neighbourhoods. As a result, they are often constrained to establish their own settlements outside the regular communities.
During the evaluation, it emerged that nearly 30 percent of transgender have, so far, attended schools up to primary level while 23 percent attended secondary education and only seven percent attended higher secondary or college level "while the remaining 40 percent never went to school."
"Even those who persevere long enough to attain the college-level education have to struggle to find decent paid works. Consequently, many of them still do not have other options but to make their living by singing and dancing alongside their less-educated gender-mates. Public humiliation, derision, ridicule, marginalization and exclusion from society are very common factors."
The policy regrets that this behaviour is not only limited to the streets but it is also experienced in government offices, hospitals, schools and other places. It adds that "Trans Action Alliance and Blue Veins" have, so far, documented 46 killings of the transgender and 300 violent attacks on them across KP from January 2015 to July 2016. In Punjab, the Khwaja Sira Society documented 70 instances of domestic abuse in 2015.
During mapping of the study, the SWD found that an overwhelming majority of transgender people; i.e. 82 percent had suffered sexual abuse in their childhood. "Currently, there is no government aid or support system to help these individuals live a normal life. In fact, government institutions, police and other governing bodies are known to harass these individuals," the policy says.
"The lack of social or state support at the time of need is alarming. In case of any criminal victimization or sexual harassment, these individuals get little help or support from either the broader community or government institutions."
The policy also highlighted that a derogatory word "khusra" is actively used in the country to denigrate the personality of trans persons. For instance, it says, friends might tease a feminine-looking friend as a "khusra". Even an incompetent public figure can be called a khusra. In both India and Pakistan, the word khusra is associated with impotence, incompetence and powerlessness, it regrets.
"In Pakistan, people have forgotten the spiritual role that the transgender persons played in the native history. Transgender persons are ridiculed and insulted. Even though, popular TV shows can be seen unwittingly or willfully making cruel jokes to transgender community," the policy laments.
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