Seminar On Developing Transgenders’ Humanitarian Response Today

News Desk

Islamabad: There will be a multi-stakeholder consultation on creating an integrated humanitarian response for the transgender population during floods and disasters: protection, inclusion, and safeguarding, today (Wednesday) in Islamabad.

The event is being organised jointly by the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR) and Peace and Justice Network (PJN), a national-level organiation working for peace, justice, the rule of law, and democracy.

The national consultation will discuss policy changes and operational guidelines that will make the entire humanitarian response paradigm inclusive of all people, particularly transgender people, ensuring them equitable access to assistance, aid, and protection.

Due to their gender identity, the transgender community in Pakistan experiences many forms of discrimination and compounded oppression. Due to this, their human rights are gravely violated by families, communities, government agencies, the commercial sector, and society as a whole.

Their experience is one of extreme social exclusion, which increases their vulnerability to HIV and other diseases, such as mental health conditions, restricts their access to education and employment opportunities, and keeps them from opportunities for social and economic advancement.

The frequent occurrence of violent violence against transgender persons, which frequently goes unpunished, is another manifestation of hatred and aggressiveness towards a group of people who do not adhere to social conventions surrounding gender. Because of their existing marginalisation and exclusion, the condition of transgender individuals in Pakistan gets worse during times of crisis.

Furthermore, trans individuals are ultimately excluded from these services due to legal requirements, policy frameworks, humanitarian standards, and protection systems that determine who is entitled to protection, aid, and support based on conventional understandings of gender.

Such is the situation with the recent flood relief efforts, as both government and non-government organisations neglected to address the common as well as specific needs of transgender persons.

A panel discussion will be organised to devise a path forward for developing an integrated humanitarian response for the transgender community, as well as the findings of four provincial action plans for devising a path forward and advocacy requests urging relevant stakeholders for policy reforms.

The national consultation will bring together a high-powered group of multiple stakeholders, such as the government, parliamentarians, representatives from UN agencies, humanitarian organizations, transgender leaders and transgender-led organizations, as well as human rights activists and a large number of representatives from civil society.