Transgender Inclusivity: A reality check

Of the 202 respondents in the study, only 15 had transgender identity cards that allowed them to avail benefits from schemes for trans people in West Bengal.

Roughly a quarter (26.7 per cent) of the respondents worked in ‘hijra’ professions of badhaai or begging, the report states. It adds that the earnings of those who begged ranged from Rs. 400-2,000 on a daily basis while those involved in the badhaai work earned between Rs. 2,000 to Rs. 10,000 for single visits.

About 12.3 per cent of survey respondents reported being engaged in sex work. Their earnings ranged between Rs. 1,000 to Rs. 5,000 per client.

Respondents in the survey were also working as dancers or singers (9.4 per cent), domestic or daily wage workers (8.4 per cent) and as social workers or activists (4.4 per cent). Around 5.4 per cent of respondents were students.

According to survey results, 15.3 per cent of the respondents preferred ‘he’ as their pronoun and 68.3 per cent preferred ‘she’. Around 16.3 per cent preferred calling themselves ‘transgender’ instead of either ‘he’ or ‘she’.

A quarter of the survey respondents (24 per cent) had completed high school education and 22 per cent had studied at the undergraduate level. Only 2.5 per cent of the respondents had pursued education at the post-graduate level.

Survey respondents reported discriminatory behaviour in educational institutions, physical and verbal abuse. Around 36 per cent had dropped out of school before finishing Class 10. A lack of sensitivity on the part of teachers, having to face shame and stigmatisation and the absence of familial support were some reasons stated for not pursuing further studies.

Of the 202 respondents, 71.29 per cent reported a monthly income of less than Rs. 10,000. Roughly a quarter (25.74 per cent) had a monthly income between Rs. 10,000-20,000 whereas just 2.97 per cent earned around Rs. 25,000–Rs. 30,000 in a month.

Two-thirds (67.33 per cent) of respondents lived with their families after changing their gender. About 22.77 per cent lived alone and 8.91 per cent lived away from their families because of their gender change. Only around one per cent lived with their partners.

Among all respondents, most were either Hindu (79.7 per cent) or Muslim (13.8 per cent). Around 1.4 per cent were Christians whereas around one per cent reported their religion as ‘humanity’. This demography is comparable to the general demography of West Bengal.

A majority (73.76 per cent) of the survey respondents belonged to the general category, 15.35 per cent were members of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (SC/STs) and 10.89 per cent were from Other Backward Classes (OBCs). Respondents belonging to the general category reported higher acceptance in public spaces than those from the OBC and SC/ST communities.

While more than 85 per cent of the survey respondents did not respond to questions on health issues, 3.47 per cent reported suffering from mental health problems.

Only 31.68 per cent of respondents were aware of the West Bengal Transgender Development Board. Around 59.9 per cent had no idea whether the board was friendly towards the trans community, 23.27 per cent did not find the board friendly, and only 5.94 per cent agreed that the board was friendly towards trans people. More than 86 per cent respondents said that they were dissatisfied with the board’s policies and work.

Focus and Factoids by Kanak Rajadhyaksha.