The Social Justice department is rolling out a project, ‘Sakalyam,’ to provide destitute transgender persons training in sectors they are interested in to equip them to find self-employment and earn their livelihood.
A majority of transgender persons are separated or estranged from their families owing to lack of acceptance of their gender identity. Alone and trying to make sense of their ‘self,’ they have no place to go. As per a survey conducted ahead of the introduction of the transgender policy in the State in 2015, nearly 51% of the transgender persons were living away from their families after their identities were disclosed.
With no means to make ends meet, transgender persons become vulnerable to exploitation by individuals and others, and ended up in sex work.
Sakalyam is aimed at providing transgender persons skill training in areas they are interested in so that they can stand on their feet, and can be weaned away from sex work.
As part of this, transgender persons can enroll for any course according to their preference. Ten transgender persons from each district will be selected for the training. Educational qualifications will not be mandatory for joining the course. The trainees will be given stipend for purchase of study material.
The government has sanctioned ₹25.2 lakh for the project that will be implemented this financial year. Expression of interest from government institutions that provide courses or government agencies that provide vocational training will be invited.
