Re: Violence aganist Transgender population in Kolkata

[Guest guest]

Dear ATHB,

Re: /message/11509

This is Abheena from Mumbai. I work with The Humsafar Trust as a volunteer on

the transgender issues and also as a board member of the trasngender CBO called

Kinnar Kasturi (Mumbai, Maharashtra).

Harrassment to the transgender community is common scenario across the

board. I have faith many organizations like you are dealing with it on daily

basis successfully. Well, as an individual as per my work experience in the

field would like to propose following options for your perusal. Hope that

provides you some support,

Sex work in any form in public area is illegal and anyone who is doing sex work

in public place will be punished by the law.

However, one can conduct the advocacy sessions with the nearby police stations

and sensitize them about the transgender issues and demand for the dignifyed

treatment during pre and post arrest in such scenario.

One can take help of the legal person and conduct sensitization among the

community members to speak for their rights and understand what is

permissible and not permissible by law.

It will be nice to come up with the simple leaflet (pictorial format) in local

language that can talk about the human rights during the arrest as an

information education communication material (IEC).

Peers can be trained from the community who are willing to face the

harrassment and can be provide advocacy trainig from the organizations

dealing with the stigma and discrimination issues for long time.

You are doing already an ongoing advocacy and that is already helping in

resolving many issues and that is really good. It actually proves the fact that

any community is capable of handling its own issues efficiently. It requires

proper facilitation to address the issues from time to time.

I would reccomend that do not wait for the external help from any agencies.

The community will not function on the support from funders forever.

Hence please do not rely for favourable response from funders. The community was

always thr and will always remain even if tomorrow all the funds dry up.

Every community is equiped to resolve its own issues!

I request you sincerely to gather the support from the like minded

organizations, sit together and identify the common support areas and the

activities that can be done without monetary requirements. I am sure that you

will be able to make huge difference in small amount of time.

United we stand !!!

Sincerely

Abheena

For Kinnar Kasturi, Mumbai

Abhijit Aher

e-mail: <abhijit.aher@...>