Tag: Economic Inclusion | Page 2

This photograph shows a scene from a public exhibition organized in Imphal on January 31 and February 1, 2018 to present Varta Trust's work on economic inclusion for gender and sexual minorities in Manipur in partnership with transgender collectives AMaNA and ETA, ally NGO SAATHII, and the University of Sussex, UK. The photograph is a close-up shot of a table displaying a collection of reports, fliers and framed photographs related to the economic inclusion activities of Varta Trust and its partner agencies. Photo credit: Pawan Dhall

Vartanama Jun '21

Mentoring the queer case for economic inclusion

By Varta Economic Inclusion Mentoring Forum

Varta’s economic inclusion mentoring forum for queer communities takes off

Quote: I have more than 20 years of experience as a transgender social worker in West Bengal. It was a different matter that there was no match between my work area or experience and the openings available in the job fair. But it was disappointing to realize that the vast majority of my community members would probably never even come close to availing these opportunities.

Coronavirus Diary, Insight Jun '21

Something unfair about job fairs

By Sudipa Chakraborty

Job fairs for queer aspirants in India need a rethink, says Sudipa Chakraborty

This illustration is a combination of a photograph and a quote from the accompanying article. To the left is a day-time medium shot of S. Lipsa Rao, a transgender woman from Odisha, who is the central character in the article. Lipsa is in a pensive mood. She is dressed in a deep blue kurta and white pyjamas, with a small bindi on her forehead and her hair tied back in a ponytail. She leans on to a low wall that forms the boundary of an open space outside her home. Her face rests on her right hand, and her right elbow is placed on the ledge of the wall. Her gaze is away from the camera, to the right side. The ledge, low wall and a wall behind her are all painted white. Behind her is a glimpse of a door. The accompanying quote says: “In November last year Lipsa had a lucky break when she managed a job as office support staff in the Jatni Municipality. This brought financial stability to her life. But she feels little reason to rejoice. She worries about the fate of her friends who have not had the same educational opportunities as she has had. In the current circumstances, not just jobs in an office are out of their reach – even their traditional livelihoods are being lost.” Photo courtesy: S. Lipsa Rao

Coronavirus Diary, Policy Matters May '21

Pandemic impact on a loop?

By Pradosh Dash

What has changed for the transgender women in Odisha since the COVID-19 pandemic led to the crippling lockdowns of 2020? Pradosh Dash spoke to S. Lipsa Rao, a transgender community...

This photograph is symbolic of the subject matter of the article. It shows a somewhat dispiriting aerial view of Kolkata city at dusk time. The photograph has been taken from the rooftop of a city high rise. The right hand side of the photograph has the setting sun, and the sky is filled with an overpowering haze of dust. The sprawling city below is a mix of buildings, some of them high-rises in the horizon, and some trees as well, but there is little to cheer about the scene. In the forefront, from the point where the photograph was shot, is a rooftop security rail made of a steel netlike structure that cuts through the left and lower parts of the photograph. The security rail seems to jag through the photograph, creating an impression of dissonance. Photo credit: Pawan Dhall

Vartanama Apr '21

Against gratitude

By Sayan Bhattacharya

Sayan Bhattacharya questions the normalization of inequity all around us – something we must not give up on if humanity has to continue breathing

Insight Apr '21

Farewell, dear fairy!

By Chintan Girish Modi

Chintan Girish Modi remembers Gaurav Probir Pramanik whose actions ensured that homophobic behaviour at the leadership level in a leading Indian corporate did not go unpunished

Coronavirus Diary, Insight, Vartanama Mar '21

**‘Bengal Trans* & Queer Charter of Demands’ released**

By Chand

West Bengal’s trans* and queer communities are formulating a policy and political participation advocacy plan. Chand takes us through the first step taken recently

Coronavirus Diary, Happenings Mar '21

Bengal government health insurance scheme not ready for trans inclusion?

By Sudipa Chakraborty, Pawan Dhall, Pradosh Dash

Transgender social worker Sudipa Chakraborty has had a harrowing time applying for Swasthya Sathi, West Bengal government’s ambitious health insurance scheme for one and all

This evening-time photograph shows two children, a girl and a boy, studying on a Kolkata pavement (near the Calcutta School of Tropical Medicine). Both children, no more than 10 years old, are bent over their exercise books, engrossed in writing something. The photographer stood behind them and took the shot from above so that their faces would not be visible (as desired by their mother, who is standing next to them, with only her saree-clad lower legs and feet visible). The children are seated on a tarpaulin spread on about half the width of the pavement. A number of objects can be seen around them – a pair of slippers, some utensils, a plastic water bottle, and some clothes. These indicate that the pavement is also their place of living. The source of light for the photograph is a lamp post to the right of the children and their mother. Their shadows and the light seem to have created an interesting pattern on tarpaulin and the pavement. Photo credit: Sudipa Chakraborty

Coronavirus Diary, Vartanama Feb '21

The gender of education, inclusion and exclusion

By Pawan Dhall, Shivalal Gautam, Sudipa Chakraborty

Pawan Dhall has some random thoughts on education, gender bias and socio-economic exclusion – with inputs from Shivalal Gautam and Sudipa Chakraborty. Trigger alert: Suicide

Quote: The webinar had participation from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It focused on country-wise sharing of what the law is, in the respective countries, regarding transgender identity acceptance; what aspects of the law disappoint, or create obstacles for transgender communities in realizing their rights; and how have governments and other stakeholders reached out to transgender communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Happenings, Insight, Policy Matters Feb '21

Transgender rights in South Asia: Trends, crises and opportunities

By Debjyoti Ghosh, Jia Mata, Pawan Dhall

Excerpts from the report of a recent webinar on transgender rights in South Asia organized by Partners for Law in Development and Varta Trust

This photograph, a night time shot, shows a brightly lit corner shop in the author’s neighbourhood in the Palm Avenue area of Kolkata. There are several colourful packets of food items and sports goods hanging at the shop entrance. More food items, an ice cream refrigerator and other goods can be seen inside the shop. The left side door has several posters of various products pasted on it. The walls around the entrance are full of graffiti. The light from the shop has also lit up the road outside the shop, presenting a cheerful picture amid surrounding darkness. Photo credit: Pawan Dhall

Vartanama Jan '21

Childhood ‘mudir dokan’ revisited

By Pawan Dhall

Yester-year stores for purchasing foodstuff and monthly provisions are making a comeback in the author’s retail therapy agenda

Quote: When it’s a well-known fact that transgender people in India have been historically marginalized, and are still marginalized socially and economically, despite gaining legal rights, how are such limited supplemental rations supposed to help them? The amounts provided would barely cover the carbohydrates required for one person over a week to a fortnight. The bigger question is why should transgender people receive lesser rations than other citizens of India!

Vartanama Dec '20

Theme for a dream in 2021

By Debjyoti Ghosh

The coronavirus pandemic has thrown new light on food (in)security for transgender persons, says Debjyoti Ghosh

This photograph is a striking long shot of the early morning sky taken from the balcony in Mayuri’s home. A major part of this vertical oriented photograph consists of silver-white clouds flecking a blue sky like a carpet right up to the horizon, where a rising sun has painted the sky in hues of orange and pink. A few buildings and trees can be seen in the near distance, somewhat still in the dark, with a number of hills rising behind them in the far distance. The entire scene is one of morning calm symbolizing peace and positivity. Photo credit: Mayuri

Coronavirus Diary, Insight, People Oct '20

Lockdown takeaways: Achieving higher ground

By Shivalal Gautam

In this second paired narrative of queer lives during the lockdown in Assam, Shivalal Gautam tells us how two queer women negotiated multiple trials and reached a better place in...

This illustration shows the cover page of the report ‘Gendering of Development Data in India: Beyond the Binary’ published by the Centre for Internet and Society, Bangalore in June 2020. Right on top of the page are the logos of Big Data for Development and the Centre for Internet and Society. The title of the report follows in a bold green typeface. Below the title are the names of Brindaalakshmi K. and Sumandro Chattapadhyay, the author and editor of the report, respectively. The bottom of the page has the following text: “Produced as part of the Big Data for Development network supported by International Development Research Centre, Canada.” This is followed by the name and website of the Centre for Internet and Society https://cis-india.org. The cover page is white and has minimal colours from the logos and the text. The page is presented against a deep blue background.

Policy Matters Aug '20

Red flag on ‘data-driven exclusion’ of transgender people

By Brindaalakshmi K.

‘Gendering of Development Data in India: Beyond the Binary’ – study reveals how structural gaps keep out transgender persons from the social welfare net, not just poor data collection

Policy Matters Jul '20

Government betrays regressive intent in pitching disability rights against corporate interests

By Dr. Nandini Ghosh

Dr. Nandini Ghosh on the recent government move to dilute the offences and penal provisions in the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 and civil...

This main graphic is a collage of sketches of three different pairs of human eyes. Each sketch, rectangular in shape, appears several times in the graphic in different sizes and places. Some of the sketches are in tones of black and white, while some have a sepia tint. Together the sketches fill up the rectangular graphic space, creating a ‘brick wall of eyes’ looking at the reader, as if to ask a question. The question could be about why families of trans persons often treat them in an inhuman way, even when the trans persons do everything in their power to take care of their families in situations such as the current coronavirus pandemic and lockdown. Why is their love not returned with equal care and affection? This issue is the main theme of the article associated with this graphic. Artwork credit: Ranjay Sarkar (pencil sketch on paper), Pawan Dhall (visualisation)

Coronavirus Diary, Insight Jun '20

Calling out ‘family values’

By Sudipa Chakraborty, Sukanta Banerjee, Joyita Mondal

Sudipa Chakraborty, Sukanta Banerjee and Joyita Mondal point out that the coronavirus pandemic and lockdown have heaped both ‘abuse’ and ‘responsibility’ on trans persons, perhaps more than ever before. With...

This main illustration shows the text “#Amphan #Lockdown #Coronavirus” superimposed in a large and bold typeface on a photograph taken in the aftermath of the Amphan super cyclone that hit West Bengal, Odisha and Bangladesh on May 23, 2020. The photograph shows a large tree collapsed across Broad Street in South Kolkata. The tree has brought down with it a tangle of overhead cables. A house behind the tree has its entrance almost blocked by the tree’s roots and branches. More buildings and upright trees can be seen in the background. The photograph has been given a black and white effect with a sepia tint, while the text is in deep orange colour. Illustration credit: Pawan Dhall

Coronavirus Diary, Happenings May '20

Amphan adds to social trauma caused by coronavirus for trans women

By Sukanta Banerjee

Sukanta Banerjee reports on how Amphan has aggravated the socioeconomic vulnerabilities of many trans women in West Bengal and what immediate mitigation support they need

Tagged Under: Economic Inclusion