For nearly two years, a 23-year-old transgender’s attempts to secure a job in both the private sector and government agencies floundered and even petitions to officials yielded no results. But on Thursday, thanks to the intervention of Collector N Venkatachalam, T Gunavathy was appointed as a security guard at the Neonatal ward of Dindigul Government Hospital.
Collector Venkatachalam declared that “It is for the first time that a transgender got a job at the GH.” Guna-
vathy, a native of Ottansathiram in Dindigul, has completed her MA in English. She is also the general secretary of Dindigul Transgender Welfare and Development Association. However, these distinctions proved to be of no help to get a job due to the prejudices.
After receiving three petitions from Gunavathy, Collector Venkatachalam recommended her to the joint-director of Dindigul Government Hospital. C Subramani, joint-director of Health Services, said “We have decided to give an opportunity to Gunavathy following the Collector’s recommendations. Her salary of `4,000 will be disbursed under the National Rural Health Mission. She will receive her uniform soon and will join work at the GH within the next two days.”
Speaking to Express, Gunavathy thanked the Collector and other officials. “I do not want to beg like others and desired a government job. I had been waiting for a job since 2011 and had applied to many companies. I finally petitioned the Collector on the Weekly Grievance Day. The job at the GH comes as a good surprise and I am happy about it. It happened by God’s grace and I will give it my best,” she said.
