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Peshawar, 31 Oct: The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has taken a major step toward equality and inclusion with the formal notification of the Departmental Guidelines for the Protection and Empowerment of Transgender Persons by the Social Welfare, Special Education & Women Empowerment Department.
The move reflects the provincial government’s growing commitment to ensuring dignity, equality, and non-discrimination for all citizens—particularly transgender persons, who have long faced exclusion, violence, and barriers to accessing basic services.
Grounded in the Constitution of Pakistan and the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018, the new guidelines provide a comprehensive framework for protecting transgender persons’ rights and promoting their full participation in public life. They set out the responsibilities of all provincial departments to ensure equal access to education, healthcare, employment, justice, and public facilities, while guaranteeing protection from harassment, violence, and discrimination.
More than a legal framework, the guidelines mark a shift from a protection-based approach to one focused on participation and empowerment. They emphasize inclusion across all spheres of governance, recognizing transgender persons as equal citizens with the right to live with dignity and contribute fully to society.
The formulation of the guidelines was a collaborative process led by the Social Welfare Department, with technical support from Blue Veins and the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), and with active participation from transgender community representatives across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
According to Qamar Naseem, Program Manager at Blue Veins, the initiative represents a milestone in inclusive governance and a bold, rights-based step by the KP Government to ensure transgender persons are treated with dignity and equality. He noted that by translating policy into practice, these guidelines offer a model other provinces can follow to operationalize the national Transgender Persons Act.
Similarly, Rizwanullah Shah, Provincial Coordinator of the National Commission for Human Rights (NCHR), commended the government for its leadership and collaboration with rights institutions. He said the initiative demonstrates how provincial departments and human rights bodies can work together to promote equality and justice, advancing a shared vision of an inclusive, rights-respecting society.
Members of the transgender community have also welcomed the initiative, calling it a long-awaited recognition of their rights. Farzana Jan, President of the TransAction Alliance, said that after years of exclusion and invisibility, the guidelines finally give the community visibility, protection, and a voice in governance. She appreciated the government’s efforts and the partnership with civil society organizations in making this breakthrough possible.
Civil society groups working on gender equality and human rights have described the guidelines as a progressive policy milestone that aligns with Pakistan’s constitutional guarantees and international commitments, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They believe the move can set an example for other provinces to follow, bridging the gap between legislation and implementation.
Officials from the Social Welfare Department have indicated that the next phase will focus on implementation, including training of government officials, setting up complaint redressal systems, and involving transgender persons in advisory and monitoring roles across departments. These mechanisms aim to institutionalize inclusion and ensure that the guidelines lead to tangible change in service delivery and governance.
The department emphasized that the notification is part of a broader effort by the KP Government to promote social inclusion and equal opportunities for marginalized groups. By adopting these guidelines, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa becomes one of the first provinces in Pakistan to operationalize the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018, turning legal recognition into actionable policy.
