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The UNAIDS India team and our cosponsor, UNDP India, were honoured at the 3rd National Transgender Awards, for our steadfast commitment to championing the rights of the transgender community, working towards their access to healthcare and advocating for their empowerment.
Zara Fauziah is a transgender woman from Indonesia. She learned she was living with HIV in 2017, but for four years coped with her diagnosis alone. The hospital where she could receive treatment wasn’t welcoming.
Ratrish Saha is a transgender woman from Kolkata, India. Even with seven years’ work experience, she was anxious about applying for a new job last year.
Ekkarat Punyatara is a photographer for National Geographic Thailand and a freelance photographer based in Bangkok, Thailand. He is currently working on a series of photographs titled “Till I Bloom” which documents the lives of transgender women in a new light. UNAIDS spoke to him about his project which has captured his attention for almost a decade. (The views and opinions expressed in interviews or commentaries are those of the interviewees and… Read More
Sharmila Nair designs and retails saris online. The literature graduate did not know much about the transgender community, but inspired by the Kerala Government in India’s zero discrimination policy towards transgender people, Sharmila decided to launch a collection of saris dedicated to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community with transgender women as models. UNAIDS spoke to Sharmila about how fashion can promote social change. (The views and opinions expressed in… Read More
It’s a year since Nepal was hit by a devastating earthquake which killed more than 8 000 people. The lesbian gay bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) community was particularly affected by the disaster. The Blue Diamond Society is dedicated to improving the sexual health, well-being and human rights of sexual minorities in Nepal and has about 218,000 members throughout the country. UNAIDS speaks to Manisha Dhakal, Executive Director of the Blue Diamond… Read More
(The views and opinions expressed in interviews or commentaries are those of the interviewees and contributors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of UNAIDS) 31 March is International Day of Transgender Visibility, which celebrates the achievements of transgender people as well as raises awareness of the discrimination and challenges the community can face. Employment is an area where there is often discrimination, but there are increasing openings for… Read More
“I fell into sex work,” said “Soi” Phathranis Meekrua. “I was a hair stylist and many of my clients were sex workers. One day they invited me to come along and visit them in the street. I was approached by a customer and thought why not have sex.”
UNAIDS Asia-Pacific 