In a first of its kind initiative, the district social justice department in association with the Ernakulam Welfare Services, Sahrudaya, is gearing up to set up an exclusive helpdesk for the transgender community in the city.
The facility is likely to turn operational at Ernakulam North next month. It assumes significance in the wake of three suicides among the transgender community in the district since March this year. A partner of the victims had also died by suicide.
"The community needs individual attention on a daily basis and psycho-social intervention to address the diverse issues they face. They also need support to secure various benefits, including transgender carda, and to deal with atrocities like alleged fake cases foisted on the community members," said K. K. Subair, district social justice officer.
The proposed help desk will function between 10 a.m and 5 p.m. It will be managed by a seven-member team, comprising of a social worker, councillor, doctor and medical officer among others.
As of now, the community has no such facility to fall back on or for regular follow-up in the event of any need other than the district social justice department office and a shelter dedicated to the community.
"Trans people qualified for the job will indeed be given preference in running the helpdesk. Among other things, the helpdesk will also tend to create awareness among the larger public since the lack of societal acceptance remains a major problem faced by the community," said Fr. Jose Koluthuvellil of Sahrudaya.
Such a facility is particularly significant in the city considering that Ernakulam has one of the largest openly declared transgender community in the State. It also plays host to community members from across the State and even outside.
The city had recently played host to a day-long workshop of the trans people that witnessed the pouring of a litany of woes by the trans people. An institutional mechanism to address their various problems and offer counselling was one of the demands raised at the meeting.
The event was the first step toward formulating a comprehensive psycho-social programme for the trans people by the district transgender justice board under the district social justice department.
