Fundamental rights of transgender people need to be ensured

BSS, Rajshahi :
Multi-sectoral approach should be adopted to ensure fundamental rights especially health, social and legal rights of the transgender people for uplifting their living condition and livelihood, human rights activists and professional leaders here said.
They said the society, as a whole, should come forward with a positive attitude towards the socially excluded people for their coexistence in the society.
Emphasis should be given on integrated efforts towards ensuring human rights and healthcare to the hizra community for substantial and sustainable reduction of their existing vulnerabilities.
Advocate Shamsunnanar Mukti called for adopting need-oriented measures like proper treatment, free medicine, free condom, awareness program, separate hospital and test of blood in terms of reducing STDs/HIV/AIDS related risk and vulnerability.
She articulated that their rights like human dignity, to work, equality and non-discrimination, freedom from all sorts of abuse and manipulation, equal access to education, security of person and property must be ensured.
Chief Health Officer of Rajshahi City Corporation Dr FAM Anzuman Ara Begum mentioned that the members of transgender community are subjected to negligence and repression in every sphere of life including family and society.
The Hijra community is essentially deprived of several rights under the country’s existing law, because it recognizes only two sexes, male and female. Time has come to promoting and protecting fundamental rights of the extreme socially excluded people.
Dr Ashraf Siddikey, Associate Professor of Sex, Skin and Venereal Diseases of Rajshahi Medical College and Hospital (RMCH), said transgender is a hormonal disability like different other physical and mental disorders.
But, most of the mainstream people have no idea about it. As a result, the transgender people are subjected to disparity in the society and also become stigmatized and victimized frequently.
He, however, said “Anal sex has ten times more risks of infection and spread of sexual transmitted diseases including HIV/AIDS for both sex-workers and clients than that of vaginal ones”. Dr Siddikey said sex workers remain one of the high risk groups, with increasing rates of infections.
Particularly, street sex workers are the most vulnerable groups for STDs. Unsafe sex and careless lifestyle become a part of their life.