A draft for Pakistan’s first-ever “Transgender Education Policy” has received approval under the leadership of Sindh’s Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah. The policy seeks to introduce measures aimed at ensuring greater educational inclusion for transgender individuals.
The newly approved policy will feature significant steps, including the addition of a transgender option on school and college admission forms, alongside the existing male and female categories. It also plans to establish quotas for the recruitment of transgender teachers, an important step toward representation in the education system.
Addressing educational barriers for transgender people
During a meeting to discuss the policy, key stakeholders, including Secretary of School Education Sindh Zahid Ali Abbasi, Chief Executive Advisor Fauzia Khan, and Director of Non-Formal Education Abdul Jabbar Mari, highlighted the challenges faced by the transgender community in accessing education.
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The meeting revealed some concerning statistics. According to the 2023 census, Pakistan is home to 20,331 transgender individuals, with 4,222 living in Sindh alone. Non-governmental organization Charity Trans Action Pakistan estimates the total transgender population to be around 250,000. However, a US Aid report indicates that 42 per cent of this demographic faces low educational attainment, and 40 per cent have limited access to education.
Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah emphasised that transgender individuals in Pakistan encounter significant educational barriers, including societal discrimination, mistreatment, and rejection, which hinder their access to schooling.
The policy’s draft aims to address these issues by working in close collaboration with transgender advocates and creating an inclusive educational environment for this marginalized community.
