A reason to rejoice - The empowerment of transgender women in Kerala

Transgender women have always been considered as the third gender and are often marginalized in society. They are deprived of dignity and not given fair treatment by mainstream society because they cannot identify themselves in terms of gender. Gender non-confirmed persons or people who identify their gender role other than male or female have experienced many difficulties from times past and their social acceptance, status in the society and role has varied from one place to another and from one culture to another. The social stigma associated with them leads to a vicious circle of emotional and economic stress, as they are rejected by society and are unable to get a decent education or proper job. Several of these transgender individuals have managed to fight the challenges of society and have made a mark for themselves, inspiring the community as a whole. Such individuals have become the inspiration for others in their community and have made phenomenal achievements for the community by excelling in their respective careers. This paper deals with the challenges that these transgender women have faced, and how some of them have been able to overcome it.