In yet another episode of the Pakistani government’s incompetency to provide justice, education, and safety to the intersex community in Pakistan, a school set up in Lahore — that was opened in Barkat Market, Garden Town at the end of 2022 — has been shut down due to inadequate funds. What served as the light at the end of the tunnel is no more possible for the demographic minority group.
The Government Girls High School, inaugurated by former provincial education minister Murad Raas, aimed to educate and teach skills to the transgender community. The school also provided pick-up and drop-off services as well as a monthly stipend.
Although the effort was a great leap taken by the government, the school has failed to run as there haven’t been any classes held for the past month. According to the education authority, the transgender pupils were taught a short course of three months and were told that new classes will start as soon as funds are received.
The Gender Guardian, the first school for transgender persons in any Islamic state, was launched at an event at the Alhamra Open Air Theatre of the Gaddafi Stadium in the Punjab capital with an aim to provide 12 years of academic education (from primary level to higher secondary level), two more schools for the transgender community will be opened in Karachi and Islamabad soon.
Asif Shahzad, the founder of The Gender Guardian, stated that the school in Lahore has a faculty of 15 members, and started giving education to around 40 students of the transgender community to provide a diploma course so that the students will be able to either work or set up their own businesses, and the NGO will facilitate them with both procedures.
Transgender people face discrimination in Pakistan and many struggle to find employment. Some are forced into begging, dancing, or prostitution to earn money. Punjab province has 64.4% of the country’s transgender population with 6,709 people registered in the category. The country’s Senate unanimously approved a bill on March 7, 2018, for the protection of the rights of transgender people, empowering them to determine their own gender identity.
The Punjab government has established a school for transgender persons in Lodhran city under its Literacy Department, the spokesperson of Chief Minister Usman Buzdar stated.
Pakistan opens first public school for transgender persons in Lodhran
