ISLAMABAD: The Senate in a unanimous decision on Wednesday, approved a bill for the protection of transgender person rights, empowering them to determine their own gender identity.
The Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill 2017 presented by Senator Dr Karim Khawaja, on the condition that it goes on to become a law, will allow the trans community to be recognised as they perceive themselves besides, enabling them to register with government offices.
“This means that under the proposed law they would not need to appear before a medical board to decide their gender,” Senate Functional Committee on Human Rights Chairperson, Senator Nasreen Jalil had told the media last month.
The bill strictly prohibits organisations and companies from discriminating against transgenders at the workplace.
“The transgender community is opposed to the idea of setting up a medical board that should determine their gender fearing that they might be subjected to embarrassment and harassment. The bill provides protection to the members their community and prohibits attacks on their self-esteem and mistreatment,” the MQM senator had stated.
In addition, the proposed law will further allow transgenders to obtain a driver’s license and passport. It will also give them the option of getting their gender corrected in the National Database and Registration Authority’s (NADRA) records.
