Transgender mirth
EASILY the most marginalised, Pakistan’s transgender community has seen acute oppression at the hands of family and society. It has weathered derision, exploitation and abandonment; as a result, employment opportunities for trans people have been inconsequential with marginal educational and healthcare support. Isolated, their lives hang in the balance as hostilities towards them often prove fatal. Against this dour backdrop, a riot of colour and cheer rang out loud in Karachi’s Hejra Festival on Friday. Trans persons turned up the flamboyance quotient and poured out in droves from across Pakistan to celebrate their presence with a powerful slogan: “existence, resistance and resilience”. The rally ended at the Arts Council of Pakistan, where participants spoke about their rights followed by a candlelight vigil.
As heartwarming as this event was, transgender people still have to contend with realities such as the one revealed in a Ministry of Human Rights report last year, which stated that the authorities failed to provide jobs to trans people in Sindh under the now imperilled Transgender Act, 2018, and figures for Punjab were insufficient for a conclusion. Perhaps, our ruling classes should, first, reconcile with the fact that transgender people are a vibrant segment of society who cannot be wished away. Second, they should learn from international measures: in India, digital transactions and instant payment interfaces enable transgender people to earn safely, whereas Vietnam’s new ‘ballroom culture’ grants mentors to trans people along with mental health and monetary support. Depressingly, Pakistan is furthest away from such initiatives. The EU-funded Trans Murder Monitoring project says that last year Pakistan reported 10 murders per year whereas Forbes termed 2021 “the deadliest year” with 375 killings. Small wonder then that on the same festive Friday, Ghazal was stabbed to death in Tehkal, near Peshawar. Complete joy will evade them until accountability becomes certain for slain trans lives. After all, what are they being faulted for?
Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2023
Path to prosperity
THE UNDP’s 2024 Regional Human Development Report for Asia-Pacific offers a detailed review of human development across the region, acknowledging the significant economic growth and reduction in poverty. Despite these advances, it underscores a stark imbalance in the distribution of benefits, with persistent income and wealth disparities, gender biases, and extensive informal sectors. It also highlights the region’s environmental predicaments, notably its substantial global carbon emissions and decline in biodiversity. Pakistan is spotlighted for its innovative approaches to development challenges, as evidenced by the implementation of UNDP’s Social Innovation Platforms in GB and Karachi. The report recalls last year’s floods, triggered by rapid glacial melt and monsoon rains, and lauds Pakistan’s disaster response, particularly the successful use of UNDP-supported flood mitigation infrastructure in the affected provinces. In terms of technological progress, the integration of fintech and agri-tech in Pakistan’s agricultural sector, with the potential to increase production, enhance the livelihoods of small farmers, and drive economic growth. It recognises Pakistan’s legislative efforts to protect migrant domestic workers, illustrating its dedication to equitable labour conditions and contemplates the potential of export-led growth to alleviate economic crises and manage large debt burdens, which could be pivotal for Pakistan’s economy. Further, the adoption of action plans for human rights and business marks a conscientious effort to align business practices with international human rights standards.
Yet, the report presents a troubling rise in perceived human insecurity in Pakistan between 2010-2016 and 2017-2020. This suggests a pressing need to tackle socioeconomic vulnerabilities. A comparative analysis of historical GDP per capita provides insight into our economic history and future prospects. The report starkly contrasts gender disparities in the workforce, particularly noting a 25pc female labour participation compared to countries like Vietnam with 69pc participation, indicating a significant area for improvement. The discussion of Pakistan’s acute debt stress underscores the need for effective fiscal management and strategic planning to navigate this challenge. It concludes by emphasising the imperative for Pakistan to develop a strategy centred on innovation, resilience, gender equality, and sustainable development. As Pakistan charts its course towards human development, the report suggests that the keys to success will be effective leadership, collaborative efforts, and sound governance to forge a prosperous future for all its citizens.
Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2023
OIC inaction
NOT much was expected from the joint OIC/Arab League summit held in Riyadh on Saturday to discuss the blood-soaked tragedy underway in Gaza. And sure enough, the presidents, princes and potentates that hold sway over the Muslim world lived up to expectations, with no clear action plan emerging to stop the massacre.
As the Muslim world’s rulers discussed the matter in a luxurious conference centre, the hungry, destitute and bloodied people of Gaza — dazed after burying their loved ones and neighbours day after day — waited for the next Israeli missile to strike.
In Riyadh, there were calls for a ceasefire and condemnation of Israeli violence, but beyond that little of substance, as the Palestinian president demanded an end to this “genocidal war”, while urging the US to use its good offices to ask Tel Aviv to stop the Gaza slaughter.
It is unlikely that those who matter in Washington or Tel Aviv will heed this request. Algeria, on the other hand, wanted Muslim and Arab states to suspend ties with Israel, while Iran recommended a boycott of Israel and the designation of the Israeli military as a “terrorist group”.
There were few takers for these proposals. It is indeed tragic that despite the murder of over 11,000 Palestinians in the Israeli onslaught, the high and mighty of the Muslim world — with their standing armies, tens of billions of dollars and vast economic clout — could not even agree to a common framework that would clearly communicate to Israel and its powerful backers that the massacre of Palestinians must stop.
If Israel were to be convinced by strongly worded statements and impressive conferences, the Palestine question would have been solved decades ago.
Meanwhile, the extermination of the Palestinian people continues, as the world looks on, as if tuned in to some grisly reality show — the livestreaming of a virtual genocide. Israel has upped its attacks on Gaza’s hospitals, all in the name of getting Hamas.
In the eyes of the Jewish state and its staunch defenders, slaughtered Palestinian babies appear to be a fair price to pay to avenge Israel’s wounded pride in the aftermath of Oct 7. Yet even some of those who had rushed to be by Israel’s side after the Hamas attack are beginning to have second thoughts; the French president has said Tel Aviv must stop killing “babies and women”.
Sadly, those who have the power to stop this butchery are either aiding Israel’s bloodthirsty campaign, or making weak entreaties for the massacre to be toned down.
However, hundreds of thousands of common people, with no political power but with great moral clarity in Sana’a, New York, London and other cities, are demanding an end to the massacre. Will the callous global elite listen to their voices?
Published in Dawn, November 13th, 2023