AHMEDABAD: Meenaxi (name changed), 33, had to drop out from a private engineering college where she was pursuing her BE in chemical engineering after uncomfortable questions regarding her gender identity were raised.
Born as a man, the realization that she was a woman inside sank in when was in class 12, she says. It was a very painful affair in pursuit of her gender identity, she was first distanced from her family and then her friends and other members of the society who turned their backs on her.
After dropping out of engineering college, she tried to run a small business but here too being seen as an ‘outcast’, she had to finally shut it down.
Financially broke, Meenaxi got a fresh lease of life when she learnt about a new initiative launched by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar Open University (BAOU) to enrol transgender persons. She returned to college, pursuing an undergraduate programme in commerce studies.
“I am once again able to lead a normal college life. Here, I am no longer treated like a third gender or an outcast. I plan to further study and pursue a masters’ degree in social welfare. I want to do good work for the society at large,” she said.
There are more than 25 students like Meenaxi from the 25 LGBTQIA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual) who have enroled in various courses for the academic year 2020-2021 at its college campus at Charodi on the outskirts of Ahmedabad.
The university provides free education to these students. Moreover, it also offers scholarship programmes for them.
What’s more? The varsity has also set up a separate cell to address any issue faced by these students.
Before enrolling the trans-persons, as part of its awareness drive, the vice-chancellor of the varsity reached out to the community members at various places including the famous Bahucharaji temple in Bechraji. The temple’s deity Bahuchara Mata enjoys patronage of the transgender community.
“Education is free of cost for these students. I visited Bahucharaji temple, met people from the transgender community and explained them the importance of education and how it can uplift their lives. Apart from the regular graduation and post-graduation courses, we offer more than a dozen certificate courses including food nutrition and child welfare,” says Ami Upadhyay, vice-chancellor of the university.
Also, there is a bridge course of one year for those who could not complete their basic schooling and had to leave midway.
“People used to often ask me earlier that why should I study if I or any other member of my community would not be able to find a job. But things are changing rapidly and there is wider acceptance of people from LGBTQI+,” says 29-year-old Madhvi (name changed). She is pursuing her masters in English literature at the university.