Thiruvananthapuram, November 16: The Kerala government, on Thursday, released a first of its kind Transgender Policy, with the sole object of ending the societal stigma attached with the sexual minority group and ensuring non-discriminatory treatment.
State Chief Secretary, Jiji Thomson, unveiled the document of the ‘State Policy for Transgenders in Kerala 2015’ by handing over its copy to noted transsexual-gender minority activist, Akkai Padmashali, during the inaugural ceremony of the first International Conference on Gender Equality, held in Kovalam.
The three-day conference was organised by Gender Park. “This is a watershed(moment), a very important event. For a long time, transgenders have not received their due in the state’s developmental framework. I understand from the Gender Park that we may be the first state in the country to have a rights-based policy on transgenders,” the CS said.
“It is for the first time that any state government is framing out a policy for transgenders,” State Minister for Social Justice, M.K. Muneer was quoted as saying.
The Supreme Court’s path-breaking judgment of April 2014 giving legal recognition to the third gender, served as an important milestone for the formation of such a Policy.
In April this year, a private member’s Bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha (something that hadn’t happened in the past 45 years). The Bill sought to safeguard the rights of transgenders and provide for reservation in jobs and educational institutions.
Just last week, the Madras High Court (referring to the SC judgment) directed the Tamil Nadu Uniformed Services Recruitment Board, to henceforth include a “third category.” The result: K Prithika Yashini will be India’s first ever transgender sub-inspector of police.
Very often, TGs in Kerala, migrate to cities like Hyderabad, Bangalore and Delhi, unable to bear the social ridicule and humiliation. But that doesn’t mean life is any easier for them over there. Nor is it any better for transgenders originally from those cities.
The Policy points out the problems faced by the transgender community in our society and provides for means and measures for fighting against discrimination faced by the members of the community. It aims at:
- Inclusion of TG as a third gender in all government related forms
- Creation of a TG Justice Board, with the State Minister for Social Justice as its chairperson
- Providing free legal aid to transgenders.
The architects of this Policy have been careful to say that it covers “all categories of TGs, including but limited to Female to Male TGs, Male to Female TGs and Inter-sex people.” So this ideally helps broaden the scope and allows for even transvestites and transsexuals.
The Department of Social Justice will also conduct a mid-term evaluation of the policy implementation and results in 2018, three years after the initiation of the TG Policy, the 20-page policy document stated.