BEYOND BINARIES - Transgender Inclusivity in Education and Employment

1. Introduction

India’s?vision?to?become?an?inclusive?and?equal?society?started?taking?root?inthe?constituent?assembly?debates?and?continues?to?date?in?current?legal?discussions.?To?answer?if?our?society?is?inclusive?or?not,?one?of?the?questions?we?need?to?ask?ourselves?is?how?many?transgender?friends/peers?do?we?personally?know?and?what?is?our?perspective?towards?them?

In?the?wake?of?normalising?binary?gender?expressions,?the?third?gender?isleft?missing?from?the?common?discourse.?Indian?society?operates?on?binary?gender?identities?and?excludes?the?‘others’?from?the?developmental?process.?The?transgender?community?lacks?inclusivity?in?our?current?social?and?political?structures.?(Patnaik)

The?paper?pivots?around?the?contemporary,?however,?overlooked?status?of?the?so-called?‘others’?in?our?society?as?a?whole.?Moreover,?the?papertouches?upon?the?areas?of?systemic?deterioration?of?their?position?in?contemporary?society?vis-à-vis?the?historical?times.?The?paper?primarily?evaluates?the?association?between?transgender?identity?and?its?literacy?and?employment?rate.?It?traverses?from?understanding?the?associated?issues?and?key?initiatives?taken?to?empower?the?community.

1.1.?Understanding?‘others’

Gender?and?sex?are?different?concepts?that?are?sometimes?used?interchangeably.?Gender?is?a?social?construct?and?sex?is?biologically?determined?at?birth.?Gender?identity?and?expression?are?complex?and?layered?characteristics,?it?varies?for?every?individual.?Similarly,?an?intersex?person?is?sometimes?identified?as?a?transperson,?but?the?two?are?separate?things?like?gender?and?sex.

An?intersex?person?is?one?who?is?biologically?different?from?their?female?and?male?counterparts.?They?are?genetically?born?with?reproductive?anatomy?that?does?not?match?either?‘female’?or?‘male’.?Transgenders?are?people?whose?gender?identity?does?notpertain?to?their?biological?sex.?Transgenders?include?transmen,?transwomen,?male-to-female?(MTF)?and?female-to-male?(FTM).?A?transmanis?a?man?who?is?assigned?the?identity?ofa?female?at?birth?and?a?transwoman?is?awoman?assigned?a?male?identity?at?birth.

Transgender?is?not?a?term?limited?to?persons?whose?genitals?are?intermixed?but?it?is?a?blanket?term?for?people?whose?gender?expression,?identity,?or?behavior?differs?from?the?norms?expected?from?their?birth?sex.?In?its?broadest?sense,?transgender?encompasses?anyone?whose?identity?or?behaviour?falls?outside?of?stereotypical?gender?norms.

Non-binary?is?a?diverse?umbrella?term?that?describes?gender?identities?outside?the?gender?binaries.?It?includestransgenders,?intersex?people,?agender,gender?fluid,?demigender,?multigender?and?others.?It?also?includes?people?who?view?their?identity?and?experience?as?fluid?or?ever-changing.?Some?non-binary?people?may?identify?themselves?as?transgender,?but?others?may?still?identify?with?their?sex?assigned?at?birthto?a?certain?degree.?Hence,?it?should?be?clear?that?transgender?and?non-binary?are?different?sets?of?identities?but?they?can?coincide?for?some?people.?The?nuances?in?gender?variance?have?always?existed?in?our?society?and?there?is?enough?evidence?to?prove?the?same.

1.2.?Historical?Background

Since?the?beginning?of?time?and?the?existence?of?mankind,?transgenders?have?been?very?much?an?integral?part?of?society. ?In?ancient?society,?transpersons?experienced?a?rich?heritage?as?they?were?placed?on?divine?pedestals.?Also?in?the?Vedic?and?puranic?literature?such?as ?Kama?Shastra?and?Manu?Smriti,?they?have?been?referred?to?as?‘tritiyaprakriti’?or?the?third?gender?(Pandeyar).?During?medieval?times,?trans?people?were?assigned?famous?roles?of?political?advisors,?administrators,?and?generals?in?the?Royal?Mughal?courts?(Michael).

With?the?advent?of?the?British?colonial?administration,?the?transgender?community?as?a?whole?started?to?face?ostracisation?as?they?began?to?be?considered?a?separate?caste.?The?Criminal?Tribes?Act,?of?1871?vigorouslycriminalized?the?community?and?denied?them?civil?rights.?The?Act?was?repealed?post-independence?in?August?1949?and?former?’’criminal?tribes’’?were?denotified?in?1952?(Soutik).?Ever?since?the?community?has?been?facing?the?problem?of?stigma,?harassment,?and?discrimination?throughout?their?life?(Indian Institute of Legal Studies).

2.?Contemporary?Status

According?to?the?Census?Report?of?India,?2011,?the?transgender?populationis?4,87,803?in?India?with?the?highest?in?the?state?of?Uttar?Pradesh.?Despite?issues?of?exclusion?and?accuracy,?the?census?provided?an?estimate?of?India's?transgender?population.?Inclusivity?starts?with?identity?and?for?the?first?time?ever?transgenders?were?officially?identified?in?the?Census?exercise?of?2011.?It’s?a ?major?step,?as?to?bring?about?any?major?policy?shift?a?reliable?data?set?is?required?to?deploy?resources.

Officially,?the?government?undertakes?sex?surveys?only?in?a?binary?male/female?format?while?tagging?the?rest?in?the?‘other’?category?assuming?them?to?be?‘trans’.?Those?with?transgender,?intersex,?and?other?non-binary?identities?in?their?true?forms,?therefore,?are?excluded?from?the?representation.?A?person,?who?identifies?as?neither?male?nor?female?(sex?associated?at?birth)?and?chooses?to?express?as?different?from?the?binary?set,?can?choose?this?option.?Hence,?the?‘other’?head?is?mere?tokenism.

2.1.?Problems?Faced

The?transgender?community?all?aroundthe?globe?has?dealt?with?the?problem?of?being?different.?Trans?people?are?born?with?particular?sex?but?their?gender?identities?do?not?conform?to?the?same.?They?are?met?with?discrimination?on?their?sexual?orientation?and?this?is?termed?transphobia.?Most?of?the?time,?the?number?of?cases?of?sexual?discrimination?met?by?transgenders?goes?unreported.?The?lack?of?trust?in?government?officials?further?highlights?the?need?for?inclusivity?in?the?process.?Transgenders?have?been?a?part?of?popular?culture,?yet?the?issues?faced?by?them?are?unaddressed.?(Chatterjee)

2.1.1.?Socio-Cultural?Barriers

• Homelessness?at?birth
• Lack?of?access?to?public?infrastructure
• The?problem?of?valid?documentation
• Lack?of?legal?protection
• Stigma,?Harassment,?and?Discrimination?(National HCH Council)

2.1.2.?Financial?Barriers

• Unemployment
• Lack?of?education?and?right?skill?set
• Excluded?from?the?formal?workforce
• Difference?in?wages
• Excluded?from?the?social?security?bracket

2.1.3.?Health?System?Barriers?(Safer, et.al.)

• Lack?of?access?to?healthcare?facilities
• Exclusion?from?health?insurancecoverage
• Physical?and?mental?violence?-?high?levels?of?sexual?abuse?and?assault,?Depression,?alcohol?abuse.?(Kussin-Shoptaw et al.?)

3.?Education?and?Employment

Education?provides?essential?skills?and?knowledge?for?carrying?out?economic?activities?that?produce?monetary?resources.?Education?not?only?provides?social?recognition?but?also?financial?independence?through?employment?generation.?Hence,?it?becomes?imperative?to?study?these?key?metrics?as?it?forms?the?basis?of?inclusivity?and?development?for?the?community.

3.1.?Literacy?Rate

As?per?the?Census?Report?of?2011,?the?literacy?rate?among?transgenders?in?India?is?56.0?percent,?compared?to?74.04?percent?literacy?in?the?general?population.?These?figures?are?expected?to?improve?after?a?decade?of?implementation?of?various?transgenderpolicies.?The?highest?literacy?rate?of?transgenders?is?found?in?the?state?of?Mizoram?followed?by?Kerala.?The?table?below?illustrates?the?relationship?between?transgenders’?education?and?population?distribution.?(Census 2011)

4.?Landmark?Initiatives

Transgenders?are?now?officially?recognized?as?the?third?gender.?Legal?empowerment?strengthens?their?capacity?to?exercise?rights,?either?as?individuals?or?as?members?of?the?community.?Legal?protection?ensures?safety?against?exploitation?and?helps?in?governing?the?behavior?of?people?in?accordance?with?values?enshrined?in?our?Constitution.

4.1.?Constitutional?Provisions

The?Constitution?of?India?ensures?equality,?freedom,?justice,?and?dignity?of?all?individuals?and?implicitly?mandates?an?inclusive?society?for?all?including?Transgender?persons.?Article?14?of?the?Constitution?guarantees?equality?before?the?law.?Article?15(1),?15(2),?and?16(2)?in?explicit ?terms?prohibit?discrimination?on?the?ground?of?sex.?Article?19(1)?ensures?all?citizen's?freedom?of?speech?and?expression.?Article?21?expresses?the?protection?of?life?and?personal?liberty?for?all?individuals.?Article?41?of?the?Constitution?of?India?enjoins?the?States?to?make?effective?provisions?for?securing?the?right?to?work,?education,?and?public?assistance?in?cases?of?unemployment,?old?age,?sickness?and?disablement,?and?in?other?cases?of?undeserved?want?within?the?limit?of?its?economic?capacity?and?development?(Constitution of India).

4.2.?NALSA?judgement

The?transgender?community?had?not?been?given?the?status?to?enjoy?their?rights?until?the?2014?judgment?of?the?Supreme?Court?(SC)?of?India.?The?case?of?National?Legal?Services?Authority?v.?Union?of?India?established?the?foundation?for?the?rights?of?transgender?persons?in?India?by?recognising?‘transgender’?as?the?‘third?gender’?and?laying?down?several?measures?for?the?prohibition?of?discrimination?against?transgender?persons?and?protection?of?their?rights.

The?transgender?community?was?given?the?recognition?of?the?“third?gender”?having?the?right?to?live?with?human?dignity?in?society.?Prior?to?the?judgement,?the?community?was?disregarded,?not?given?an?equal?position?in?society?and?neither?were?any?equal?opportunities?available?to?thecommunity?as?a?whole.?The?judgment?recognized?the?term?‘person’?as?a?gender-neutral?term?used?in?the?Constitution?and?therefore,?any?sort?of?denial?of?rights?to?the?transgender?community,?recognized?as?the?third?gender?would?be?violative?of?Article 14?and?21?of?the?Constitution?of?India.?Thisensured?the?right?of?the?community?to?live?a?dignified?life?in?society?lifting?up?the?fear?of?being?sexually?abused?or?harassed.

The?decision?directed?affirmative?action?on?part?of?the?Central?and?the?State?Governments?to?ensure?non-infringement?of?fundamental?rights,?public?health?and?social?welfare?of?the?community.?It?is?only?in?recent?times?that?they?have?been?given?the?necessary?social?security?and?the?ability?to?integrate?into?the?community.An?integration?of?this?marginalized?community?is?the?essence?of?ensuring?welfare?for?all?and?being?inclusive.

4.3. ?Transgender?Persons?Act,?2019

4.3.1.?Key?Features?of?the?Law

• Definitions?of?‘person?with?intersex?variation'?and?‘transgender?person’?have?been?provided?to?include?trans?men?and?trans?women?(whether?or?not?such?person?has?undergone?sex?reassignment?surgery,?hormone?or?other?therapy).
• The?Act?prohibits?the?discrimination?of?transgender?persons?at?educational?establishments,?in?employment?or?occupational?opportunities,?healthcare?services?and?access?to?public?facilities?and?benefits.?It?further?reinforces?transgenderpersons’?right?to?movement,?right?to?reside,?rent,?or?otherwise?occupy?property.
• Act?provides?for?a?right?to?self-perceived?gender?identity?and?casts?an?obligation?on?the?district?magistrate?to?issue?a?‘certificate?of?identity’?as?a?transgender?person,?without?therequirement?of?any?medical?or?physical?examination.?If?the?transgender?person?undergoes?medical?intervention?to?change?sex?either?as?a?male?or?female?and?requires?a?revised?identity?certificate?then?they?would?need?to?apply?to?the?district?magistrate?along?with?a?certificate?issued?by?the?medical?superintendent?or?chief?medical?officer?of?the?concerned?hospital.
• Every?establishment?has?been?mandated?to?formulate?an?equal?opportunity?policy?for?transgender?persons?with?certain?specific?information?as?prescribed?under?the?law.?This?will?help?create?inclusive?establishments?like?inclusive?education,?etc.?The?process?of?inclusion?also?requires?creation?of?infrastructure?facilities?like?separate?wards?in?hospitals?and?washrooms?(unisex?toilets).
• Every?establishment?has?been?mandated?to?designate?a?person?as?a?complaint?officer?to?handle?complaints?from?transgender?persons.
• The?government?has?been?mandated?to?formulate?welfare?schemes?and?programs?which?are?transgender?sensitive,?non-stigmatising?and?non-discriminatory.
• The?government?has?been?mandated?to?set?up?separate?Human Immunodeficiency Virus(HIV)?sero-surveillance?centres?to?conduct?sero-surveillance?for?transgender?persons;?provide?for?medical?care?facilities?including?sex?reassignment?surgery?and?hormonal?therapy;?and?provide?for?a?coverage?of?medical?expenses?by?a?comprehensive?insurance?scheme?for?surgeries?and?other?therapies.
• Constitution?of?the?National?Council?for?Transgender?Persons?(NCTP)?to?advise?the?government?for?the?formulation?and?monitoring?of?policies?and?redress?the?grievances?of?transgender?persons.
• Offences,?like?indulging?transgender?persons?in?forced?or?bonded?labour?or?denial?of?access?to?public?places?or?physical,?emotional?or?sexual?abuse.?Other?offences?committed?under?the?provisions?of?the?Transgender?Persons?Act,?are?punishable?with?imprisonment?for?a?term?of?at?least?six?months,?extending?up?to?two?years?along?with?fine?Department of Social Justice and Empowerment?(DOSJE)

4.3.2. ?Challenges

The?Transgender?Persons?(Protection?of?Rights)?Bill?was?passed?in?the?Lower?House?in?August?2019.?Even?though?the?act?does?away?with?some?controversial?provisions?that?existed?in?the?2018?bill,?including?the?criminalization?of?begging,?it?faced?criticism?because?it?does?not?give?transgender?people?the?right?to?self-identify?their?gender?without?having?had?sex?reassignment?surgery.

As?per?law,?the?District?Magistrate?and?the?screening-committee?at?the?districtlevel?will?assign?a?gender?certificate?to?an?individual?who?has?undergone?a?sex?reassignment?surgery.?If?one?has?not?undergone?sex?reassignment?surgery,?one?can?only?be?identified?as?transgender,?not?as?male?or?female.?Transgender?people?believe?this?is?coercing?them?towards?surgery?whereas?the?demand?for?free?or?low-cost?sex?reassignment?surgery?has?also?not?been?met.

The?Act,?2019?does?not?comply?with?Article?15?of?the?Constitution?that?prohibits?discrimination?on?grounds?of?sex.?The?basic?requirement?of?the?certificate?of?identity?under?Section 5 of the Act,?2019?for?the?legal?recognition?of?the?particular?person?asa?transgender?is?a?violation?of?Article?15?of?the?Indian?Constitution.?The?provision?creates?a?distinction?betweenthe?other?sexes?and?transgenders?as?there?is?no?requirement?of?any?certificate?of?identity?by?the?male?or?female?gender,?but?only?the?transgenders?have?to?fulfill?the?criteria,thus?opposing?the?basic?objective?of?Article?15?and?creating?sex?discrimination?(Solanki)

4.4.?SMILE

Support for the marginalised Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise (SMILE) is a Central Sector Scheme (CSS) with a sub-scheme ‘Comprehensive Rehabilitation for Welfare of Transgender Persons’ that aims to create an inclusive society for transgenders to live a life of dignity and respect. The scheme ropes in the support of state governments, urban local bodies, voluntary and community/philanthropic organizations, and others for effective implementation. It focuses extensively on rehabilitation, and covers several targeted welfare measures of medical facilities, counseling, education, skill development, economic linkages etc. (SMILE) The interventions made through the scheme are pictographically explained

• Scholarships?are?given?in?the?form?of?financial?assistance?for?school?(9th?to?12th)?and?higher?education?(diploma?or?graduation)
• Composite?Medical?Health?includes?health?insurance?for?gender?reaffirmation?or?post-operative?surgeries?with?other?medical?treatments
• Recognition?and?appreciation?provides?incentives?and?encourages?skill?training?and?employment?opportunities
• Garima?Greh?-?shelter?homes?fordestitutes?and?abandoned?transgenders?in?more?than?12?cities?in?India
• Skill?Development?and?Training ?for?capacity?building?and?skill?enhancement
• Transgender?certificates?and?identity?cards?are?granted?through?the?national?portal?for?transgenders?(DOSJE)

In?the?recent?past,?laws?were?made?for?overall?development?of?the?community.The?gap?between?the?process?of?law-making?and?its?effective?implementation?is?still?wide.?Ensuring?that?these?benefits?reach?targeted?individuals?require?representatives?from?the?community?in?the?process?of?policy?formulation?with?on-ground?activism.?The?goal?of?achieving?transgender?inclusivity?requires?more?than?legal?interventions.

5.?Recommendations

5.1.?Reservation?for?Transgenders

The?community?comes?under?the?category?of?“disadvantage?group”?defined?by?the?Right?to?Education?(RTE)Act.?This?means?that?they?are?eligible?for?reservation?under?the?Economically?Weaker?Section?(EWS) ?and?disadvantaged?student’s?category?for?admission?in?schools.?This?saw?backlash?from?trans?people?across?sub-castes?for?horizontal?reservations?instead?of?a?blanket?policy.

The?SC,?in?the?NALSA?verdict ?(2014),?directed?the?Union?and?state?governments?to?treat?transgender?people?as?socially?and?educationally?backward?classes?of?citizens.?It?recognised?the?constitutional?rights?of?equality,?liberty,?and?dignity?for?transgenders?and?suggested?that?reservation?policy?be?extended?to?transgenders?in?cases?of?admission?in?educational?institutions?and?for?public?appointments.?The?Expert?Committee?for?Transgenders,2013,?under?the?Ministry?of?Social?Justice?and?Empowerment?also?recommended?granting?reservations?for?transgenders.

Social?stigma?in?almost?every?sphere?oflife?such?as?health,?schools/colleges,employment,?social?schemes,?andentitlements?diminishes?their?self-esteem.?This?policy?can?plug?theproblem?of?accessibility?and?empowerthe?community?by?including?them?inthe?mainstream?development?programof?the?country.

5.2.?National?Commission?forTransgenders

The?National?Council?of?Transgender?Persons?(NCT)?is?statutorily?empowered?to?advise?the?government?on?the?formulation?of?policies,?programmes,?and?legislations,?to?monitor?and?evaluate?the?impact?of?policies?and?programmes,?to?coordinate?the?activities?of?all?the?departments?of?government?and?non-governmental?organisations?and?redress?grievances?of?transgender?persons.?A?constitutional?mandate?will?make?it?mandatory?to?take?the?concurrence?of?Parliament.

5.3.?Behavioral?Change

Awareness?drives?and?sensitization?programs?can?be?quintessential?in?changing?the?perception?of?society?towards?transgenders.?This?can?be?done?through?the?medium?of?social?media,?traditional?and?experiential?marketing?tools?like?running?advertisements,?having?respectable?spokespersons?at?various?events?in?schools/colleges/offices,?etc.?Special?employment?exchange?programmes?and?incentives?to?employers?to?hire?andretain?transgender?employees?in?the?private?sector?can?boost?their?employment?rate.

Focusing on trans employment in the workplace is the need of the hour. Interventions by corporates, society, and government functionaries would holistically change the narrative for the community. A positive movement would create and enable an inclusive world for the third gender in a binary structure.