Call made to promote inclusive society

Our correspondent

MANSEHRA: A consortium of nongovernmental organisations in collaboration with Aawaz ll have organised a two-day wor shop to sensitise the society to give equal rights to transgender persons, minorities, women and people with disabilities.

The training was hosted by the Sungi Development Foundation. “We should not discriminate among men, women and transgender persons on the basis of gender as the country’s Constitution provides them equal rights and obligations,” Amna Yameen, the focal person of the workshop, told the first session held here on Monday.

The Saibaan Development Organisation, Sungi Development Foundation and Friends’ district Aawaz forums had organised a workshop which was attended by the transgender persons, minorities, persons with disabilities and human rights activists from Haripur, Mansehra and Battagram.

Amna Yameen called for ending gender stereotypes, ethnic stereotypes, ageism and cultural barriers said to end gender-based violence, discrimination and inequality. “We should be inclusive to every segment of the society without taking his/her gender and sex into consideration,” she said.

Sungi’ programme manager Shahid Aziz said to create the leadership quality among the oppressed segments of the society the nongovernmental organisation should get mobilised the people at the grassroots level.

“This could only be possible when we could bring about a behaviour change in the societies to eliminate the exclusion and promote the inclusive society,” he said.A transgender rights activist Nadra Khan said that it was highly encouraging that Aawaz District Forum had constituted village and district forums that were providing legal to bridge the gap between communities and services providers. “These forums have been providing us the legal aid and sensitising societies to not to discriminate against transgender persons,” she added.