Providing children with the greatest freedom of gender expression allows the children to gain confidence and develop an authentic sense of gender identity, writes Atia Sanjida Sushoma

THE appointment of a transgender news presenter by a private television channel on March 8, International Women’s Day, appears to be a remarkable event for more than one reasons. Undoubtedly, this is a revolutionary and a historic event for Bangladesh. Also it is an achievement for the transgender community in Bangladesh who are customarily marginalised and stigmatised in society due to their identity. We hope that this event will create new doors and opportunities for the transgender communities in Bangladesh. However, we still have a long way to go since the transgender community is still not well accepted by people in our society.

Bangladesh government has undertaken some initiatives in the past few years for the transgender communities, including providing them voting rights, ‘third gender’ status and so on. Recently, some transgender people have got the chance to attain education in a madrassah. Despite the changes in legal recognition, people’s perception has not changed much. It is very necessary to bring change in people’s perception about the transgender community in our society since without changing people’s mindset, we will not be able to ensure a safer society for them.

People’s perception is crucial to ensure a safer place for the transgender community. It can be explained by providing the example of Tasnuva Anan, the news presenter appointed by the private television. Tasnuva is praised by various news portals for becoming the first transgender news presenter in Bangladesh. But on social media platforms, she is being bullied by both men and women using abusive words about her. So, a change in the mindset of the people is necessary to ensure equal rights for the transgender people.

A norm or perception does not get established in a day. By applying an intersectional approach, it becomes visible that several institutions work together for the establishment of a particular perception. Science and other branches of knowledge promote that having XX and XY chromosomes as normal and categorise others as abnormal. This association of the ‘abnormal’ with the transgender people who do not fit into the binary category of men (XY) and women (XY) promotes the stigmatised perception of transgender people in society.

A transgender is bullied and assaulted in our society as the established structures of though promote that they are abnormal and that they should be ignored. All cultures have gendered expectations from male and female. But those who grow up with a gender identity that doesn’t match with the sex they were assigned at birth, they are being stigmatised for being different. They face discrimination in society, family, educational institutions and are also stigmatised by religion. Due to a lack of access to education and employment, most of them are forced to engage in sex work and money collecting activities. Their future can be changed by changing society’s negative attitude towards them.

How to respect a transgender person? Most of us do not know how to address and respect a transgender person. In this case, educational institutions can play a vital role. Schools should advocate for the acceptance of differences. Curriculum should include positive representations of transgender individuals. Transgender students should be addressed by their preferable name and pronouns. Educational institutions should provide an understanding so that all can be tolerant and respectful to people with sexual orientations that do not fit with the socially-constructed and dominant gendered expectations.

Moreover we have to make sure that our policies prohibit discrimination based on gender identity and gender expression. Our health care system is still not transgender-friendly. There is still no sex reassignment surgery available in Bangladesh. These shortcomings should be adequately addressed. Also employees should be hired in workplaces without regard to their gender identity or gender expression.

In addition to this, family is the first place where the transgender persons receive their first maltreatment. Families should teach their children that they are free to choose their gender identity. Providing a child with the greatest freedom of gender expression allows the children to gain confidence and develop an authentic sense of gender identity.

By following these steps, we can reduce the stigma associated with the transgender people, promote a positive perception about them and make our society safe and comfortable for people of all gender identities.

Atia Sanjida Sushoma is a student of women and gender studies, University of Dhaka.