Training on Right to Food of Transgender Persons
In the mid 1870, the eunuchs of Gazipur district in Uttar Pradesh complained that they were starving due to ban on right to dance and play in public which was the only source of livelihood for the eunuchs then. This is a reality that has continued to the present day, wherein the National Food Security Act and a number of other welfare schemes fail to cover the rights of Transgender Persons in the country. This is not to mean that Transgender Persons cannot access these welfare schemes, this training was done to increase awareness and sensitisation of rights of transgender persons and how one can access these rights. In case of structural obstructions and discrimination how to challenge laws that are unequal and discriminatory.
Trans people face a variety of social security issues. Since most of them run away or evicted from home, they do not expect support from their biological family in the long run. Subsequently, they face a lot of challenges especially when they are not in a position to earn (or has decreased earning capacity) due to health concerns, lack of employment opportunities, or old age. Lack of specific social welfare schemes and barriers to use existing schemes has consistently push their economic backwardness and ultimately to below poverty lines of the society. The Social welfare departments provide a variety of social welfare schemes for socially and economically disadvantaged groups.
However, so far, no such specific schemes are available for Trans people even for the subsidised groceries or food supplements through the civil supplies department. Many times it has seen that stringent and cumbersome procedures need for address proof, identity proof, and income certificate all hinder even deserving people from making use of available schemes including in getting this necessities of life.