Daily Times

HYDERABAD: Sindh Community Foundation, under its Tabeer program, organised a dialogue on Sunday demanding implementation of legislation to provide basic rights to the transgender community.

The dialogue, which was attended by members of the transgender community and civil society activists, also aimed to promote awareness on voting rights and the procedure of casting vote among the transgender communities.

Sindh Community Foundation head Javed Hussain, member Aisha Agha and Human Rights Commission of Pakistan’s (HRCP) Gufrana Araeen praised the legislation pertaining transgender people and demanded inclusion of the community in programs of social safety nets, residential rights and colonies/safe houses, education, health, and job opportunities in public and private institutions as per the legislation.

It was said that the legislation guarantees transgender people the right to vote in all national, provincial and local government elections and it also states that they will not be discriminated against in their pursuit of a public office so they should exercise their right to vote in this election and should negotiate with electoral candidates to address their issues.

Vote casting procedure was also shared with the participants during the dialogue.

Speaking during the seminar, the transgender people complained that despite government’s positive steps to issue National Identity Cards to them, they have to face discrimination in NADRA offices due to staff’s uncooperative behaviour.

They also said that due to lack of literacy, skills development and social safety nets programs, transgender people lead substandard lives. Moreover, they complained that they were being denied jobs due to their social status, while they also have to face bullying, harassment and mugging in public places.

Participants demanded that there was a need to speed up the implementation process of the said legislation process with full political commitment.

In this regard, appropriate budget should be allocated to implement the law at local level. Participants’ dialogue demanded that the government should promote awareness of law through proper campaigning at public and institutional levels to change the mindset of the society regarding the transgender people for protecting their human dignity and respect.