State Policy cleared to protect transgender from social discrimination, abuse in Karnataka

Bengaluru, October 27: With an aim of bringing the transgender community into the mainstream and also safeguarding them from exploitation in the society, the Karnataka government has cleared the State Policy for Transgenders, 2017. The policy had been drafted on transgenders, in agreement with a judgment which was a milestone by the Supreme Court in 2014.

Other than male and female, the third term gender which is a transgender will be used in all documents and communications, as approved in the policy on Friday. For implementing the policy aimed at protecting the transgender from insults, social discrimination and abuse, the Department of Women and Child Development (WCD) will act as a nodal department.

Welfare programmes will be initiated by setting up the special cell for transgender. For the problems of stigma, violence, identification, and certification besides legal support, counseling centers will be established. Reservation for them in all levels of education and employment is suggested in the policy