Transwomen set up food stall on Pudukottai Road

A group of transgender women have set up a food cart along Pudukottai Road after years of struggling to find employment. The cart, which was inaugurated on Wednesday has received a positive response s

A group of transgender women have set up a food cart along Pudukottai Road after years of struggling to find employment. The cart, which was inaugurated on Wednesday has received a positive response so far, they said. Riyana, who leads the group is a field-level officer with a group associated with Tamil Nadu State AIDS Control Society (TANSACS). Through her work, she met the others- Sayyesha, Parveen, Maya, Namitha and Harini. All five transgender women are educated, some even hold masters degrees in Science and Commerce. However, not one of them have been able to secure jobs so far, Riyana said. “They have cleared job interviews, and even gone as far as meeting the officials at some workplaces, but have not been employed so far. Workplaces cite our safety, and say that other employees might misbehave with us, and do not give us the job,” she said.