THE NEED FOR TRANS AND GENDER DIVERSE VISIBILITY
This year has been hard because of the COVID 19 Pandemic and in a way the pandemic has exposed the injustices women continue to experience in their daily lives.
As we hold conversations and come up with ways and systems to address these issues, it is important to recognise the struggles faced by ALL women in their spectrum and diversity. We need to realise that when we talk about women, we are not only referring to cisgender, heterosexual able-bodied women but also include trans women, women living with disabilities, lesbian and bisexual women and many other clusters of women. In order to fully address issues women face, we need to acknowledge all these differences women have and understand the issues that are specific to each cluster of women because if we generalise then we risk excluding and side-lining a lot of people.
I believe a lot of the issues women face are a result of patriarchy. I say this because patriarchy has created an illusion of what a woman is, and any other person who does not fit into that box is then the odd one out and is subjected to a lot of stigma and discrimination which has been the experience for many sexual and gender minority people. Women, in all their diversity, need to freely and rightfully challenge the patriarchal system that has built walls to side-line and marginalise sexual and gender minority groups.
I also believe it is time for human rights groups to realise the intersectionality that comes with being human because no one is one thing. In order to adequately advocate for human rights, we need to ensure that our approach takes into consideration the differences we have and take deliberate steps to be inclusive of everyone.
When it comes to challenges gender minority people face, people who are transgender often face challenges that make it difficult to access the healthcare services that they need to support their physical and emotional well-being. This includes lack of health insurance coverage to provide gender-affirming care which is a direct result of high rates of unemployment among the trans community, little to no knowledge of transgender issues among healthcare providers, mistreatment and denial of care, interpersonal stigma, and refusal to use the preferred name or pronouns. These experiences of transwomen show that there is a need for an intersectional approach in building solidarity to enhance the sexual and reproductive health rights of trans and gender diverse persons.
The need for visibility of trans and gender diverse people to me means that there is a need for national advocacy for Legal gender recognition. This should be done by every individual or organisation that has a human rights mandate instead of it being done solely by LBGTIQ groups. There continues to be a rise in discrepancies in the lived experiences of the Trans community, and they go unrecognised because we do not have policies that explicitly represent the interests of trans people in Botswana. It is urgent that in the advocacy towards advancing legal gender recognition we consider the gender-based violence and transphobia experienced by the Trans community. Gender affirming healthcare is still a stumbling block because our health policies do not accommodate people who identify as transgender and gender affirming healthcare is still expensive and exclusive to only those who have the financial means. It is also important to note that currently Botswana has only three private health personnel who cater to the needs of the trans and gender diverse community by providing gender affirming hormonal replacement therapy, so it is clear that visibility and representation are paramount in engaging with public health service providers to share factual and accurate information on the health issues faced by the Trans community.
Every day, we should celebrate the Trans and gender diverse community for the resilience and perseverance through all the challenges and hope that they find solace in the beauty that comes with transformation. I applaud all trans and gender diverse people for daring to be themselves in a world that is so hostile to them for simply existing and hope that one day, diversity would not be such a taboo, but rather embraced and celebrated.
To the allies of the LGBTI community your support is appreciated and valued, it goes a long way in the creation of safe spaces for us to thrive and shine. TRANS LIVES MATTER!