Abstract

In a world that clings to just two labels, the lives of transgender individuals reflect the courage needed to live beyond these rigid definitions. Behind this courage lies a battle fought with the self and with society, where simply being themselves comes with a heavy price. From facing rejection by loved ones to battling discrimination at every turn, their fight for equality is far from over. In the contemporary world, one of the most pressing issues is the struggle for transgender rights, the lack of which leads to violence against such individuals. Even after consistent efforts for public awareness and legal protections, the transgender community faces violence, humiliation, inequality, and several other injustices that put a question mark on their human rights. This paper delves deeply into the diverse challenges faced by the transgender community and specifically focuses on the prevalent violence against transgender individuals that is rooted deeply in societal inequalities. Intersecting factors such as illiteracy, workplace discrimination, social status, dignity, and marginalization, along with various other social barriers that act as obstacles in a pathway to a more inclusive society also contribute to the cycle of victimization and violence. Individuals whose gender identity is different from the sex which they were assigned at the time of their birth are considered transgender individuals. Unfortunately, they witness a world that is hostile and is unacceptable to their existence. This hostility eventually leads to discrimination and social exclusion. Every single injustice creates a pathway for one of the most significant problems faced by them, that is the existence of a social stigma about them. Although there have been legal advancements in various countries where a third gender has been recognized and such individuals have the right to change their legal gender, yet transgender individuals are not treated equally and are denied their basic human rights. Lack of such recognition contributes to a society full of discrimination against transgender individuals which gives rise to transgender violence which is often overlooked. Such inequality promotes various other challenges, one of the major challenges being abandonment by the family, which is another critical issue that severely affects their life and turns it upside down. This paper also shows how various issues intersect with each other and create a compounding effect on an individual's life and eventually exacerbate the vulnerability of such individuals to violence and intersectional victimization. The paper also puts forward the contention that simply reforming the laws is insufficient and there is an urgent need for a holistic approach to address the root causes of intersectional victimization and violence against transgender.

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