Support Transgender in Pakistan

BY: SANWAL MALIK

Life is hard for most Pakistani’s but for those of us who are different – whether by accident or by choice – survival is certainly an achievement. In a country where religious inequality is routine, why should sexual orientation be treated any differently? It’s terrible to be a transgender in Pakistan.  While associating sexual promiscuity to the entire group is unfair, generalizing them to be vulgar is downright inhumane. According to the rulings of Islam, there are many examples where transgender were protected.

However, sexual promiscuity among the group was prohibited. So, the moral custodians of today who claim allegiance to the very tradition should reconsider their position on the subject because it seems that they are influenced by classical social attitudes rather than the doctrine. Usually transgender in Pakistan scrapes a living together through dancing, singing and begging on the mean streets of metropolis. People tolerate them due to beliefs that they can give blessings for a happy and successful life and also, the threat that they may curse those who treat them bad.

Life is changing for transgender in Pakistan

Transgender in Pakistan are Sadly pushed out of homes by their families as children and find their way to the tougher parts of the city where groups of outcast transgender have come together to create whole new underground ‘families’. Strength, determination and vision are the ingredients to make the impossible, possible. That’s what Sanam Fakir; an angel for the transgender in Pakistan especially in Sindh has proved by setting up a computer training center for them at her house.

She has established this place with a sole intention to make these less fortunate, bread earners rather than beggars. Rather than relying on any NGO to financially empower them she herself took the initiative and has set up this computer-training centre on a self-help basis to provide professional training to her community. She has also appointed herself as the focal person for the minority group by the Sindh government and she is working without an office and salary for the post so far which adds another feather to her cap.

Transgender in Pakistan live on the fringes of a society, face brutal discrimination in jobs, not to mention the scant access to education and state protection. Transgender in Pakistan are easy victims of violence and have no option but to indulge in immoral activities for survival. In such awful situation establishment of such institute is surely a commendable act.

 In such deplorable circumstances if anyone tries to clutch at a straw, trying to prove him deserves a huge applause from society. In view of this, Sarah Gill certainly deserves an acknowledgment for her strength and courage as she, breaking the barriers, setting new trends, is studying medicine and is going to be first transgender doctor in Pakistan. Although her family warned her that if she declares herself as transgender, they will stop paying for her studies but she did and now she will have to arrange for her fee on her own.

Sarah has not only stood for the rights of transgender in Pakistan she has also the vision to lobby for the centuries’ old respect for transgender in society. Sarah is also running an NGO by the name of Gender Interactive Alliance (GIA), there is nothing that can stop her now from working openly for the welfare of her community. Nonetheless, progress has been seen in Pakistan when we talk about transgender as they took a huge leap towards becoming full-fledged citizens of the country.

The voter registration for the transgender in Pakistan started and they were issued National Identity Cards (CNIC) by NADRA. Now eunuchs celebrate voting rights there in Pakistan that is surely a good act of humanity. Although there is a lot more that needs to be catered for their civilized living but such initiatives give a ray of hope that gradually life for transgender in Pakistan is changing for sure. They are no more just beggars on the streets. With such initiatives they are opening up space for themselves as productive citizens in a society, showing their strengths and proving themselves functional rather than relying on help by government or any NGO.