HYDERABAD: City-based trans women said that while most of them ended up on the streets due to lack of education, subsequently being forced to turn into beggars or sex workers to earn a living, a skill development programme by a government institution has provided them with a fresh lease of life. Providing them wages of Rs 15,600 per month, the programme conducted by Durgabai Mahila Sishu Vikas Kendra (DMSVK) in Kukatpally has been a turning point in the lives of at least 10 trans women in the city.
A total of 10 such centres were set up by the Telangana State Women’s Co-Operative Development Corporation across the state last October. The skill development training programme, for women below the poverty line and trans women, started reaping dividends early this year, with salary distributions commencing in February. P. Sabitha, the DMSVK’s assistant general manager, and I. Lakshmi Kumari, the manager for Hyderabad, said that trans women are brought to the centre with the help of NGOs, equality organisations and social workers.
“They are the victims of sex trade as they are neglected by the society and their families. They are not even welcomed in public transport. We have provided them with a ration card and also an identity card. When people see them wear this card, they ask questions like whether they work for the government and are also partially accepted by a few in the society,” said Sabitha.
Kumari said the centre provides them with capital investment and teaches them skills, such as weaving jute bags, making cloth masks, dyeing sarees and beautician courses, among others. The centre is also linked with private hospitals, which provide nurse training, while they are also trained to become pre-primary teachers.
“The centre earns a profit by selling the products made by them. They are also given a certificate for each skill. The product changes every year, depending on requirements, sometimes from the government as well,” said Kumari. However, they said that only 24 trans women have been engaged by them, in two batches, as they are forced to continue sex work or beg by vested interests.
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