Organization: National Institute of Social Defence, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India
Region: Asia and the Pacific Islands
Nationality: India
Country: India
Interests & expertise: Community leadership
Profession or occupation: Advocate/activist
What inspires you to work in the HIV field?
My work started with the invisibility of trans men and masculine persons in India and it spread out to whole “trans” umbrella term. Getting to know people living with HIV within the community was another level of awareness for me. The stigma and discrimination of cisgender people living with HIV is at its highest level, and if it is transgender people, it’s some other level. This is where I get the energy and passion to work for the cause of my community, who are often deprived of the basics in life just because of gender identity.
What are your goals as an IAS change maker?
My goals are to:
- Work on policy level and make structural change.
- Create a youth leadership and advocacy force.
- Identify implementation gaps and bridge them.
- Create visibility campaigns for the trans community in India.