ISLAMABAD: The transgender community in Pakistan will now be able to access the poverty alleviation intervention of the PTI government’s Ehsaas programme.
“The decision of including the transgender community in the Ehsaas program has been made keeping in view their needs as they are the most vulnerable segment of society”, Dr Sania Nishtar said while talking to the media. She informed that the Ehsaas Kafalat program caters for the financial needs of the disadvantaged population by providing them with a monthly stipend of Rs2000 along with saving Bank Accounts.
Dr Nishtar said that Transgenders after getting registered for Kafalat program will be able to get entitlement for other related programs under the umbrella of Ehsaas too. The children of Transgenders will be able to get school stipends and entitlement for Ehsaas Nashonuma, access to Ehsaas Interest-Free Loan scheme and Ehsaas Amdan program, she added.
The Benazir Income Support Programme board in its 50th meeting held a few days back under the Ehsaas framework approved the inclusion of all transgenders in Ehsaas Kafaalat programme.
As per the decision, transgenders holding valid Computerized National Identity Cards will be brought into the fold of Ehsaas kafaalat. Transgenders usually live as a separate community; all transgenders in a household will be declared as kafaalat beneficiaries.
