Kerala to become India’s 1st state to set up cooperative societies for transgenders
Thiruvananthapuram, February 12: Kerala has reserved its larger share for women and transgenders in its Budget 2018 after State Finance Minister Thomas Issac declared the budget. Minister also declared Rs10 Crores have been allocated for many initiatives and schemes for the welfare of the transgender community.
Kerala is one of the 1st states in India to have set the benchmark with various pioneering policies and schemes for the transgender community.
From an exclusive transgender policy to sanctioning pension schemes for senior members, the state has launched many pioneering initiatives in its bid to end the social stigma and denigrating attitude against the community and now, it has proposed to set up co-operative societies for the community.
Once established, these co-operative societies will be the 1st in the country which will exclusively work towards the empowerment of the transgender community.
The primary objective of establishing cooperative societies is to lend financial aid to the marginalized group, which will help them to become self-employed and independent. “The societies would be set up in all districts where sufficient numbers of members are available as stipulated as per the Cooperatives Societies Act,” he added.