Staff Reporter
The Ministry of Human Rights (MOHR) with the support of United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA) organised a ceremony at Ministry of Human Rights to launch Eid Relief Packages for Covid-19 affected transgender persons.
The beneficiaries were identified through a preliminary socio-economic rapid need assessment for Covid 19 to address and cater to the most vulnerable transgender persons, led and driven by the transgender community.
The MOHR and UNDP have identified civil society partners who are also members of ministry’s National implementation Committee and focal points in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad to conduct the assessment. A total of 120 ration bags will be distributed to the transgender persons identified through the need based assessment. The remaining individual relief packages were handed over to focal persons for distribution to deserving members of the population.
Bubbli Malik committee member from Punjab and Ms Nadeem Kashish committee member from Islamabad conducted the survey among 75 transgender persons in Islamabad & Rawalpindi to identify the needs of the grass root level trans community during this pandemic, said in Press Release issued here Wednesday.
United Nations Development Program Consultant Ms. Nayyab Ali has coordinated the assessment while Aisha Mughal from Ministry of Human Rights along with the relevant United Nations Development Program and United Nations Population Fund team members is overseeing the process.
Federal Secretary for Human Rights Rabiya Javeri Agha distributed ration bags to three transgenders at the ceremony. Speaking at the event, she reiterated the commitment of the state to protect the rights of transgender persons. “MoHR constituted a National Implementation Committee under the Transgender Persons Act 2018. Pakistan has one of the most progressive transgender laws, granting transgender persons equal rights, including the right to self-identification of gender. Provincial Consultation meetings have been conducted in all four provinces in order to reduce Transphobic stigma and discrimination with Transgender community. Police sensitization sessions and consultations have also been conducted to finalize guidelines for police engagement with transgenders in the Islamabad Capital Territory.
