Kerala sets tone for empowering transgenders

Kerala LDF government has introduced policies earmarked for inclusion and empowerment of the transgender community. The State's focus ranges from inclusion in every application form, financial aid for sex reassignment surgery, accommodation, marriage and employment.

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala sets an example for the whole country on being inclusive towards trans communities, through its policies and programmes, thereby empowering them and enabling them to live a dignified life.

The State, which was the first in India to form a transgender policy soon after the apex court order, is on the right direction to uplift the marginalised trans communities in Kerala. Many programmes and welfare schemes are being implemented by the State Government, covering areas of education. employment and skill development.

The programmes are aimed at bringing the marginalised section of society to the mainstream and to raise the quality of their life. The State government, in a landmark decision this Monday, has decided to include ‘transgender’ as a gender option in all the application forms in the various departments with the Government. The Government has directed all its departments to include Female /Male/Transgender/Transwoman/Transman in the gender column.

Besides the continuing education programme, a special scheme named ‘Saphalam’ has been implemented by the State to support the transgenders who have taking up professional courses. After education, different agencies of the State Government would also assist transgenders to find jobs.

Through the Social Welfare department, the transgenders are provided with financial aid for gender reassignment surgery and self-employment. The Government had issued an order allocating Rs 32,91,716 to provide financial aid to the transgender persons who had undergone the gender reassignment surgery. The fund has been allotted to be provided to 30 transwomen.

The Government had raised the aid slab provided for gender reassignment surgeries for both male to female and female to male. As per the raised financial aid slab from the Government, a maximum of Rs 5 lakhs would be provided for a female to male gender reassignment surgery while that for a male to female gender reassignment surgery would be Rs 2.5 lakhs.

The Government had also released a list of those who have been selected for the sex reassignment surgery. An additional aid has been allotted for another 30 transpersons who were not included in this list. This year, as many as 81 transpersons had applied for sex reassignment surgery.

The financial aid for all the applicants has been sanctioned by the government. The Government has earmarked Rs 3 lakhs for the marriage of a transgender couple as financial help. Of this, Rs 30,000 is being provided to each transgender couples.

Shelter homes have been set up by the Government for the transgenders for accommodation. In most cases, once their identity is realised and revealed in front of their families, the persons belonging to transgender communities are ostracised by their relatives and sent out from their homes. Shelter homes would be a relief for such persons who have nowhere else to go. Presently, Kerala also has a Transgender cell and a 24-hour special helpline.

A special unit of transgenders with Kudumbashree (Kerala’s Women Self Help Group system) also functions in Kerala. One seat each has been reserved for transgenders in all courses from undergraduate level. With a transgender medical doctor graduating in the State, Kerala had also made history that way.

The Government had constituted an Assembly committee specifically to study the welfare of the transgender community. The Committee chaired by Aysha Potti MLA has submitted 55 more recommendations to the Government. The Left Democratic Front Government is to examine these recommendations and implement them too.

Though the Government has been coming up with several such welfare schemes and measures for the upliftment of transgenders, the delay in the execution and implementation of certain of these schemes has been a problem. The decisions on applications on emergency needs, like identity cards, are sometimes delayed inordinately.

Despite all measures by the Government to be more inclusive, the society’s stigma towards transgenders resulted in severe discrimination. As per the State Government’s Census data from 2015, there are 2,50,000 transgender persons in Kerala. However, a proper census was not conducted after 2015. Transgenders have urged the Government to conduct the census as soon as possible.