Job mela for Transgender people to be held in Chennai

CHENNAI: Every time 29-year-old Andrea steps out, the abrupt reactions don’t bother her anymore – the averted eyes and the prolonged stares. This attention, she mooted at a meeting in the city on Friday, is what transgender people like her could tap to push social campaigns for the government.
“It is unlikely my generation will see a time when people see transgender people and not stare.We can use this to our advantage by campaigning for various schemes provided by the government,” said Andrea, who has been struggling to find a job for the last five years.
Andrea was among 200 transgender people who attended the meeting , jointly organised by the Chennai city police and various organisations that work for the welfare of the third sex.
Once painted as being the main perpetrators of harassment for the trans community, the city police are now reaching out to them by facilitating jobs. In the second such initiative in as many years, senior police officers interacted with transgender people to find out their qualifications and needs.
“At least 60% of those who attended are school dropouts,” said a police officer who was part of the initiative. While some of them wanted help in starting new businesses like catering units, beauty parlours and shops, many, like Andrea, wanted a government job.
“They feel they have a trait many lack in the government sector – empathy. They sought jobs as cooks and caretakers in state-run children’s homes,” said the officer.
In the job mela organised by the police department in 2016, three transgender people were placed in the private sector and one was employed as a teacher. Around 10 private companies and 4 banks attended the programme to recruit.
Transgender activist Apsara Reddy, who was among the organisers of Friday’s interaction, said they were on the lookout for companies that don’t just hire them but are also sensitive to their needs. “We don’t want to be in a place where we are ridiculed instead of being understood,” said Reddy. This year’s job mela would be held in a month’s time, she said.
For police, facilitating employment for the transgender community is a way to keep them off the streets and away from crime. “This can be done if we are given responsibilities like what Andrea suggested,” said P Sudha, a member of the state transgender welfare board.
Sudha said awareness on government-backed initiatives like Swachh Bharat often elude the community. “The state can sensitise the community and give them the responsibility to spread the word to others through mime, dance and street plays,” she said.