Pakistan set to open country’s first ever educational, vocational training school for transgenders

Pakistan takes a step towards social reform and is now set to inaugurate the country’s first institute for the transgender community. The institute will have educational and vocational training for people from the transgender community.

As per a news report by the Dawn on Friday, The Gender Guardian school will be inaugurated on April 15 at Lahore under the aegis of Asif Shahzad, who is also school’s founder.

The school has been built by an NGO named Exploring Future Foundation which is set to open two more branches of the school in Islamabad and Karachi. The school will also host crash courses for fashion designing, beautician and hair styling courses, graphic designing, computer, and mobile repairing. It will have separate wings for primary, matriculation and also graduation-level classes.

Shahzad said, “The school has 15 faculty members, three of whom are from the transgender community.” Further, it has been reported that more than 40 students from the transgender community have already taken admission in the school which will be formally launched through an opening ceremony at Gaddafi Stadium Lahore’s Alhamra Hall in Lahore.

The institute is a welcome move following the Senate’s approval of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill, 2016.

Note: News shared for public awareness with reference from the information provided at online news portals.