The Social Welfare and Bait-ul-Maal (SW&BM) Punjab is going to establish the country's first community and welfare centre for transgender community in Lahore, Business Recorder learnt on Tuesday. An official privy to the development told this scribe that a community and welfare centre titled "Establishment of Community and Welfare Centre for Transgender Persons" is going to be established in Lahore which will be the country's first community centre for transgender people.
Since the transgender are marginalized segment of the society, it was decided to establish a community centre where they can get all the benefits like every other citizen, the official said, adding that the concept paper of this project has been prepared and its PC-1 is in the pipelines. "In majority of cases, the families of transgender persons disown them and they are deprived of shelter, food and security.
According to the 6th Population and Housing Census, he said the total population of transgender in Punjab was 6709. In 2018, the government of Pakistan enacted Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2018 to empower this community. "Under Section-6 of this Act, it is the obligation on the part of the government to establish Protection Centre and Safe Houses to ensure the rescue, protection and rehabilitation of transgender persons besides provision of medical facilities, psychological care, counseling and adult education. He said the project will be established in Lahore but it will provide services to transgender across the province. "This will be a pilot project till the approval of PC-1 from the provincial finance department and budgetary allocations in the upcoming annual development plan (ADP)," he added.
For this project, the department conducted a number of consultative sessions regarding formulation of ADP 2018-19. The stakeholders included departmental representatives, academia and representatives from NGOs besides others, he recalled.
Under the initiative, the SW&BM will provide enrollment facility, access to resource centres, establishment of human rights and advocacy cell, provision of medical and psychological services, rehabilitation services and referral centre for shelter in collaboration with NGOs.
In the Human Rights and Advocacy Cell, an effective mechanism for the registration of complaints regarding human rights violations as defined in Section-4 of the Transgender persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018, will be maintained which will subsequently be referred to concerned department for prompt redressal. Under the Rehabilitation Services, the transgender will get vocational training from TEVTA, PVTC, Qasr-e-Behbood and Sanatzars besides other state-run departments. A coordinated mechanism will also be developed with Akhuwat and other micro finance institutions for their self-employment or empowerment.
According to the concept paper, a copy of which is available with Business Recorder, it is most likely that the referral center for shelter will be managed or supervised by a transgender with the assistance of the social welfare and representatives of the NGOs.
Initially, the project will be established in a rented building with an approximate cost and expenditure of Rs 54 million. A sum of Rs 6 million will be required in shape of rent, Rs 3 million for utilities, Rs 9 million for salaries, Rs 10 million for publicity and advertisement, Rs 5 million for holding seminars and workshops, Rs 2 million for trainings, Rs 4 million for purchase of furniture and Rs 5 million for purchase of equipments.
Comments
Comments are closed.