Jakarta, IO – Discrimination against transgender women is still prevalent in the society. They are also often excluded from government programs, including the Workers Social Security (BPJS Ketenagakerjaan). This difficulty forces the transgender community to be more independent by supporting each other. This collective effort is also aimed at fighting for their basic rights as citizens.
According to Rully Mallay, a transgender rights activist, the majority of trans women are ostracized by their families. As a vulnerable group, they are unable to have a decent job due to social stigma. The majority of them do not even have a high school diploma.
“We initially provided them with information about the government’s social security program. Most of them still have minimal understanding, especially those aged 50-65,” said Hartoyo, coordinator of Suara Kita, a community that helps trans women obtain BPJS Ketenagakerjaan.
After we educated them, the next step is to help them gather necessary documents to apply for the program. One of the problems encountered is the lack of proper citizenship documents such as identity card (KTP) especially among the older trans women.
The community helps them throughout the process, from start to finish, free of charge. However, according to Hartoyo, there has yet been any trans women who managed to get BPJS Ketenagakerjaan. This, he said, is against Law 40/2004 article 1(1) which reads “Social security is a form of social protection to ensure that all people can meet their basic needs for a decent life.”
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Apart from helping trans women obtain BPJS Ketenagakerjaan, the community also provide assistance in the funeral process through collective funds or third-party donations. They also assist younger trans women learn practical skills such as sewing and cooking. As many as 143 trans women have been helped through this collective effort. They hail from various regions including Greater Jakarta, Denpasar, Surabaya, Semarang, Bandung and Yogyakarta. (bp)