Transgender Rights

Transgender people are those people who experience a mismatch between their gender identity or gender expression, and their assigned sex. Most transgender people face discrimination at work, in public and at health care centers or hospitals. This team deals with protecting rights of Transgender community who face daily discrimination and abuse from the society. Many of the existing policies and traditional norms of the society shun the Transgender from being able to have an equal standing amongst their fellow countrymen. JWF works to preserve the rights of this community from being exploited and abused through its various efforts and other resources in order to bring a semblance of balance in the life of the Transgender people. JWF also works to establish legal policies and other legislative reforms that might be applicable in enabling the Transgender to have a functioning role in Bangladesh. Moreover, there are various awareness activities held by JWF which is believed would in turn allow people to acknowledge them as a citizen with their own individual rights like all others.

The constitution has several provisions that could apply to transgender citizens:

• Part II Article 19 – Promises equal opportunity for all citizens.

• Part III Article 27 – Promises equality before the law for all citizens.

There are only some of the cornerstones of support left for the transgender community to be accepted as citizens of the country. Hence, allowing them the same rights and privileges as any other ordinary citizens of Bangladesh is warranted or at least that’s how it should be. There have been many instances in the past where a person was denied his job opportunity or even from going near a common public place only due to the fact of that person being a transgender.

Freedom of religion and the press are both promised, but subject to restrictions based on "decency or morality".

A citizen is not eligible to be a member of Parliament if they are convicted of a "criminal offense involving moral turpitude".

• “Section 377 of Penal Code: Unnatural offenses: Whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal, shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.”

As can be seen even marriage or having a family is prohibited indirectly via various provisions of the country. Our foundation aims to protect the rights of the transgender as fellow humans and to ensure that no provision of law or constitution unjustly interferes in their way of life. After all, we have all been born to this world and live in it as fellow human beings.