Sindh approves Pakistan’s first transgender education policy

KARACHI: A draft for Pakistan's inaugural "Transgender Education Policy" has received approval under the chairmanship of Sindh's Education Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah.

The policy aims to introduce a transgender option on school and college admission forms, alongside male and female options, and to create quotas for transgender individuals in teacher recruitment.

The meeting included Secretary of School Education Sindh Zahid Ali Abbasi, Chief Executive Advisor Fauzia Khan, Director of Non-Formal Education Abdul Jabbar Mari, Deputy Director Atif Waghio, and several other officials.

It was reported during the meeting that the 2023 census identified 20,331 transgender individuals in Pakistan, with 4,222 residing in Sindh.

Additionally, representatives from the non-governmental organization "Charity Trans Action Pakistan" mentioned an estimated transgender population of around 250,000. A report from U.S.

Aid indicated that 42% of this demographic have low educational attainment, while 40% have limited access to education.

Findings from a study involving members of the transgender community indicated there are 22,065 transgender individuals in Sindh. The meeting highlighted the importance of collaboration with transgender advocates in formulating the policy.

Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah remarked that transgender people in Pakistan encounter substantial obstacles in education due to societal discrimination, mistreatment, and rejection, all of which impede their educational access.