Pakistan’s First Trans Lawyer Strives To Become Country’s First Ever Trans Judge

Nisha Rao, 28, is Pakistan’s first trans lawyer and is now striving to become the country’s first-ever trans judge. LGBT+ rights in Pakistan are still a contentious issue, but some progress was reached in 2009 as the Supreme Court ruled in favour of trans individuals being able to state their third gender on their national identity cards.

More recently, in 2018, Pakistan’s parliament passed a law recognising trans people as equal citizens and protecting them from discrimination and violence, according to ‘Gay Times’.

The Transgender Person (Protections of Rights) Act will ensure that trans people will have their gender recognised on official government documents. That includes passports, driver’s licenses, and other government-issued paperwork.

It will also prohibit discrimination against trans people in workplaces, healthcare, schools, universities, and on public transport.

Rao, at first, spent much of her time begging on the street for money. After tirelessly saving what she could, she was able to earn a law degree, license, and join the Karachi Bar Association.

Pakistan is estimated to have 10,418 transgender citizens out of 207 million according to a 2017 census, but Charity Trans Action Pakistan, a trans rights activist group, estimates there are at least 500,000.

Now, Roa is advocating for trans rights with a non-governmental organisation. Speaking to Reuters, the lawyer expressed her satisfaction at the change she has helped encourage.

“I am proud to have become Pakistan's first transgender lawyer,” Rao said and followed up by declaring her goal is to “become Pakistan’s first transgender judge.”

Read related myGwork articles here:

Pakistan Issues Health Care ID’s For Trans People To Improve Care

School for the trans community opens in Pakistan

14 Countries Ban Being Trans, New International Reports Reveals

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