Equal opportunities
It is the fundamental right of all children, irrespective of their ethnicity, gender or status to have access to free education. A progressive society is one where every individual, regardless of their gender, ethnic background, and physical ability is accepted and has an equal share along with the others. Often in our society we ignore transgenders, forgetting that they have equal rights.
The transgender community of Pakistan greatly suffers in terms of the societal stigma that is attached to them. They are often subjected to physical and sexual violence and not given the respect that they are striving for. They are also deprived of their Fundamental Rights, one of which is Education.
When I started to think about Amal Mega Project, the one thing that was at the top of my mind was an idea where I can cater to the transgender community and make a positive impact on their lives. So I dived into research and started collecting data of transgender people across Pakistan which estimates to be 300,000. This is a huge number compared to the opportunities being provided to them. Even though The Constitution of Pakistan has some laws to safeguard the rights of transgender people, when it comes to enforcing these laws, hardly any of them are implemented. The transgender community cannot be eliminated from their right to have access to the free and quality education and we all need to do something in order to help the community.
The trans community had been deprived of their rights for a long long time now and it’s the need of the hour that we provide them with free education and ensuring inclusivity in the education sector, not only will their basic rights be fulfilled, but the respect that they deserve within society will be given.
To integrate transgender children and ensure an inclusive school environment, it is crucial that certain changes are made within schools. We do not need separate schools for them, same schools where they are accepted better and not treated differently. We need to educate our children and make sure we create a friendly environment where they do not face any discrimination and bullying. I would like to emphasize on the need to implement an inclusive schooling system because by segregating them into trans school we have already drawn a line that separates them from the rest of the society which is extremely wrong.
In order to work on the above mentioned solution, I tried contacting a few schools in my neighborhood and discussed the idea with them. Most of them were reluctant to implement it but luckily one of them really appreciated of my idea and agreed to work on it with me and my team. Moreover, I also contacted, Nisha Rao who is the first trans lawyer of Pakistan. She enthusiastically approved of my idea and said she would play her part for this cause. She also agreed to talk in depth about the problems faced by the trans community so I can develop an better understanding of the areas on which we can work on.
I am really looking forward to help the trans community by my efforts, no matter how small they might be to make sure they feel a well included and important part of society. I hope to work as an agent of positive change for these people.
