Karachi: In a meeting chaired by Sindh Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah, the country’s first-ever “Transgender Education Policy” draft was accepted.
According to a release, the policy suggests including a separate “transgender” category in addition to the male and female options on school and college application forms.
The quota for transgender in teaching positions is also included. The cabinet will soon review and approve the document.
According to data from the 2023 census, there are 20,331 transgender people in Pakistan, with 4,222 of them living in Sindh, according to the conference. According to an NGO, the actual number might be closer to 250,000.
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Additionally, USAID research shows that 42 percent of transgender individuals have limited literacy, while 40 percent lack access to education entirely.
Minister Shah emphasized the major obstacles transgender people encounter in the classroom, citing discrimination, abuse, and exclusion from society.
They find it difficult to pay for their education due to financial constraints and a lack of employment options, and they are frequently deterred from continuing their education by worries about harassment in educational settings.
Shah further pointed out that transgender pupils do not have a curriculum specifically designed for them. Special schools and non-formal education training facilities are part of the new policy’s efforts to create a supportive learning environment.
Measures to develop anti-harassment protections for transgender students at educational institutions are also included, as are skill development programs to enhance results.
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Campaigns to raise awareness of equal rights and opportunities will be started, and schools will set up support groups to assist transgender pupils in coping with social pressures.
The initiative also includes mentorship programs that highlight transgender people who have achieved success as role models to encourage others to seek education.
Minister Shah highlighted that enabling education for transgender would open doors to respectable employment.