Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, are a universal call for action to end poverty, protect the planet, and to ensure that all people enjoy peace, prosperity and equal opportunities of life. In September 2015, leaders of 193 nations agreed to set the world on a path towards sustainable development through the adoption of the 2030 Agenda, which includes 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). These 17 SDGs are inclusive in nature, universally applicable, based on human rights and interconnected, which means that gains in one area would catalyse achievements in others, with the potential to create greater synergies and impact. Among the 17 SDGs, SDG 5 and 10 have an ambitious commitment to ensure gender equality, reduce inequality, create opportunities for everyone, regardless of who they are and from where they come, and also leave no one behind. This is important because equality between all genders and provision of opportunity to all are important components of human rights and the guarantee of a successful democracy. It not only provides equal rights to all gender but also laid a strident foundation of a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable society.
SDG 5 accounts for the provision of equal access to education, health care, decent work, and equal representation in political structure and economic decision-making processes, while SDG 10 advocates to reduce inequality within all genders. Thus, meeting the targets of SDG 10 (reduced inequalities) and SDG 5 (gender equality) by a country lays down the foundation for themselves to achieve the rest of all the development goals. Therefore, these two SDGs are considered the building blocks of sustainable development.
This article seeks to discuss the issues about Khawaja Sara and Hijra as a third gender in the context of SDGs and also discusses how SDG 5 and SDG 10 are framed and what mechanism has been developed to deliver these SDGs in the context of transgenders or Khawajasaras and Hijras in Pakistan.
Pakistan adopted the 2030 Agenda through a National Assembly Resolution on February 19, 2016. In line with the Vision 2025 having already incorporated the SDGs framework, the Ministry of Planning, Development and Reforms and the UNDP signed a framework agreement under a “National Initiative for SDGs,” which aims to develop mechanisms for achieving the SDGs, as per national and provincial priorities, and in collaboration with the private sector, civil society and academia. This commitment means that the state authority will utilise all vital sources and resources to provide equal opportunities to all genders and would leave no one behind in terms of development and services.
The low ranking on GGGI declares that Pakistan is still a long way behind in becoming a society in which all persons can exercise their rights equally, free from stigma and violence
UNDP Pakistan, in collaboration with the Ministry of Human Rights (MoHR), National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) and other provincial government partners, have been working towards the social inclusion of Khawajasaras and Hijras across the country. Under the collaboration of all these institutions, Pakistan Senate passed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act in 2018 that aimed to improve the social integration, prohibit discrimination and harassment of transgender persons and protect their rights to health, employment, education, and access to all public places. This welfare Act is considered a stepping stone towards transgender development and to overcome decades-old deep-rooted inequalities towards them in Pakistan. But, despite all these stern commitments and policy legislations, the Khawajasaras and Hijras, as a third gender, are facing enormous issues, such as a recognition of their identity, access to opportunities, healthcare, psycho-social support, gainful employment, engagement opportunities, justice, discrimination, oppression, and most importantly, the issue of respect and freedom. Individuals from Khawaja Sara and Hijra communities majorly rely on sex work, begging, dancing, and singing to earn their survival. These activities of Khawaja Saras and Hijras are making them more vulnerable to hate crime and community violence. Therefore, Pakistan is ranked 144th out of 145 countries on the Global Gender Gap Index (GGGI) because of the widespread gender disparity and gender inequalities in different sectors. The low ranking on GGGI declares that Pakistan is still a long way behind in becoming a society in which all persons can exercise their rights equally, free from stigma and violence.
It is worth mentioning here that Khawajasaras and Hijras need institutional development, same as the institutional and budgetary support provided to women and girls as the second gender for their development. Women institutions, like National and Provincial Commissions on the Status of Women (NCSW and PCSWs), Gender and Child Cells in Disaster Management Authorities, Women Protection Cells, Women Development Departments (WDD), Women Parliamentary Caucuses and an Inter-Provincial Ministerial Group on Women Development are providing their services to decrease gender discrimination of women and girls in Pakistan. I propose that both Federal and Provincial Governments of Pakistan are required to formulate national and provincial commissions on the status of Khawajasaras and Hijras and include the members from their communities. These commissions will not only provide a respectable earning opportunity to Khawajasaras and Hijras but also they will start a dialogue on different transgender issues with the concerned authorities, which will develop these communities in Pakistan.
The writer is a PhD Scholar at RMIT University Melbourne Australia, with a research interest in the field of Gender, Sexuality and Education. He has also served as an officer in the Social Welfare Department Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and has a prolific experience of working in the development sector, research, and academia. He can be reached at alamgirsocio7@gmail.com.