Living in a country where transgenders are often known as a disgrace to a nation, Alisha and Aisha set a new example for the whole world.
In 2017 census, Pakistan documented its transgender population for the first time. Transgenders cover 0.005 percent of the population as per their estimated number to be over 10,000. In spite of this, they face problems and hardships to live peacefully in Pakistan.
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These two transgenders, Aisha and Alisha chose to study instead of begging or opting something wrong and earned M.Phil degrees with high grades. Alisha, 30, is working as Coordination Consultant for United Nations Development Programme (UNDP-Pakistan) while Aisha, 29, is working with Ministry of Human Rights (MOHR) as consultant.
While talking to Pakistan Observer at an exhibition organized to showcase various decorative products prepared by the skillful transgenders, Alisha said
“I could never have thought she would be one day a team member of the UNDP Pakistan which is a sheer honour and privilege for her. I was selected on merit and we are doing great at the UNDP.”
She further said,
“I have done M.Phil in Education Planning Management (EPM) from Bahauddin Zakaria University Multan and have earlier worked with Engro Foods Company as assistant accountant.”
Aisha who is M.Phil in Human Resource Management (HRM) from COMSATS University of Islamabad said,
“Unfortunately, the general image of transgenders in Pakistan was that of sex workers, dancers and criminals but now times are changing. We have a transgender TV anchor, a transgender employee in National Database And Regulatory Authority (NADRA), a makeup artist in a TV channel and many other shining examples.”
Aisha has the unique honour of being the first-ever transgender in visiting facility at the Quaid-e-Azam University (QAU) of Islamabad and taught there for a year.
