Lahore, Pakistan (AP) – Transgender students Not only does he learn the art of culinary arts, he is involved in very special projects at Pakistani culinary schools, but there is a lot to do with the class.
Neha Malik used to dance at weddings for parties and weddings, but sometimes she was a sex worker. Since January, she has been enrolled in a new course in the trans community at the Institute of Pakistan’s Culinary & Hotels.
A free six-month program in Pakistan’s cultural capital, Lahore, welcomed the first group of 25 trans students in January. A second group of 25 began training on February 1st.
Now, Malik, 31, dreams of working as a chef in Dubai, a futuristic, skyscrapered city in the United Arab Emirates.
She never misses her class. “I’m obsessed with learning so I don’t have time to dance anymore,” she added.
Many Pakistanis have established beliefs about gender and sexuality. Trans people are often considered exiles In the majority of conservative Muslim countries. Some people are forced to ggle, dance, and even prostitution to make money. They also live in fear of attack.
The UN Development Agency said last year that the majority of Pakistan’s trans trans reports You have experienced violence and abuse And most often reported that employment opportunities were denied due to gender identity. Only 7% were employed in the formal sector, but UNDP was added.
Trans women in the civil servants and media have raised awareness of marginalized and misunderstood communities, and overall, the community has made some progress in protecting their rights.
The Supreme Court decision emphasizes that they can self-identify as a third gender, both male and female, and have the same rights as all Pakistani citizens.
last year, Lahore received its first ride-sharing service For trans people and women Protect them from discrimination and harassmentin 2022, Pakistan launched a hotline for trans people.
“Society usually looks down on us,” Malik said. “I have to change this way of thinking. Now people come to me and ask what I’m doing when they see me in the chef’s coat and hat.”
Once classes begin, students submit to Lahore Culinary School with backpacks and beam smiles, replacing colorful clothes with white uniforms.
But it’s a struggle. They each receive a monthly scholarship of Rs 8,000, which is about $26. There is not enough space to live as a student.
“When my rent is Rs 15,000, how can I survive with that?” said Zoya Khan, 26. Her utility bills engulf most of it, she said.
So she performs at several events on the moon.
“I used to get a decent amount (from the dance) but I won’t lie,” she added. But “I had no respect for that.”
“Why are you here? Khan, who wants to start his own business after graduation, said Khan, a street-side cafe.
Nadia Shehzad, the Institute’s CEO, said the project will support the trans community and gain equal awareness of “refusing and ignoring the sector of society.”
The school is taking government officials to help aspiring chefs with visas go abroad for work, Shezad said. He also talks about his work with local hotels and restaurants after his graduation. There are wages of up to Rs 30,000, or around $107.
Still, it’s not easy for trans people to leave dancing, gging and sex work for cooking programs, said Shabnam Chaudhry, a leader in the trans community.
Many wonder if society gives them jobs or if the people in the restaurant eat food cooked by trans chefs.
In the past, Chaudry said he had seen many trans people taking makeup and sewing courses, but he couldn’t find a job after that and went back to gging or dancing to survive. I was forced to do that.
She is also worried about the prospect of finding a job. Pakistan has hundreds of thousands of young people with skills and degrees that they cannot find a job.
“Faced with this tough competition to give jobs to trans people,” Chaudhry asked. “People aren’t ready to shake hands with us.”
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