NCSW lauds move for transgender quota in jobs

Islamabad :National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) on Wednesday welcomed the Establishment Division’s move to take forward the case of separate quota for transgender in federal government jobs.

The Establishment Division, on October 17, recommended the cabinet to allocate a separate quota in the federal government jobs for transgender persons. A statement issued by the NCSW Chairperson Khawar Mumtaz termed the decision a positive step towards ensuring equal citizenship for transgender community.

“Being part of the movement for rights of transgender persons, NCSW believes that the step would contribute in the empowerment and inclusion of transgender person in the main stream society. The decision also reflects the increasing level of realization about the rights of transgender person at the policy level,” says the statement. The statement says that the transgender people are one of the most marginalised communities in the country, and face social exclusion, discrimination, lack of education and facilities and unemployment.   “NCSW has always been a staunch supporter of equal rights for transgender persons as citizens of the country. The Commission also participated in the deliberations of the task force constituted by the Senate in the Federal Ombudsperson office to prepare two bills for transgender rights including Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act 2017 and the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Criminal Law Amendment Act 2017. NCSW expects that proposed bills be approved soon by the Parliament so that the community can have legal protection of their rights that has been violated for long.”

Another statement issued by the Commission expressed grave concern over the incident at Raiwind; where a woman gave birth to a child just outside Tehsil Headquarter Hospital (THQ) after being refused entrance into the facility.  Woman named Sameera Bibi was denied access into the hospital as the lady health worker told her that there was no doctor on duty in the early hour of the morning. According to eyewitnesses, there were no rescue 1122 ambulances present at the hospital as well and by the time an ambulance arrived the baby had already been born.

NCSW urged the provincial government to take strict action against the responsible officials. The Commission also expressed disappointed over the lack of health facilities in one of the most advanced areas of the country linked to the provincial capital.  “At the time when international community is targeting to achieve women mortality rate of 70/100,000 live births, Pakistan has a concerning figure of 178/100,000 live births. Incidents like this reflect the deplorable condition of health facilities and access to the existing ones, especially for women, in the country,” says the Commission.