Gender equality will factor in 3rd gender

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state’s Gender Equality and Empowerment Policy, the first of its kind in the country, will set in motion the revolutionary social reform of granting equal rights to the third gender, the transgender. The Draft of GEE policy, though it speaks only of the female and the male, has stated that the framework it had prepared will be comprehensively altered to accommodate the needs and priorities of the transgender.

This means that once the GEE Policy comes into force, probably by the end of this year, all the three genders will have equal or non-discriminatory access to development policies, programmes and projects fully or partially funded by public money. The Social Justice Department is already conducting a survey to take stock of the economic, social and psychological needs of the transgender group. “After an analysis of the findings of the survey, the draft GEE policy will be revised or another policy will be issued in this regard,” said Social Justice director Mr V N Jithendran. The transgender survey is being conducted by Sangama, the voluntary organization working for trangenders in South India.

For the purpose of the survey, transgenders are defined to mean males who have transformed into females and females who are living as males. An unofficial estimate puts their number in the state at 3000-odd. Sangama activist Ameer said that a detailed survey had never been attempted before and therefore surmised that the number would be considerably more. He is but sure that a substantial majority of transgenders in the state belongs to the ‘male to female’ category. The survey, he said, will reveal the numbers. It will also assess the social, economic and psychological issues faced by transgenders in the state.

“A lack of self worth has pushed transgenders to the margins. Most have not completed their education and those who have managed to get a job are found to quit in no time,” Ameer said. “They are not welcome in the mainstream,” he added.