Established in the year 2016 as a community-based organization, Hijra Transgender Welfare Society (HTWS) is Telangana’s first transgender organization dedicated to addressing the stigma and the subsequent violence faced by our community members.
In India, the transgender community has historically been marginalized and discriminated against socially, economically, culturally and politically. Due to ridicule, abuse and violence faced from family and society, the community members often leave their families during childhood or their teen years, if not abandoned by them. Due to lack of education and in the absence of any formal degree or learnt skills, a large majority of transgenders often resort to sex work or begging.
In addition to violence, sex work also increases the vulnerability of the community members to HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases (STIs). The social and systematic exclusion faced by the community makes good healthcare inaccessible to them.
Through advocacy and sensitization, we work in partnership with the community, the government and the civil society to create an enabling and empowering environment for the transgender community. In addition to addressing violence and providing better health care, we also focus on facilitating access to social entitlements, welfare schemes and initiatives aimed at skill building and livelihood.
We are affiliated with the National Network of Transgender Persons (NNTP).
Currently, HTWS is governed by 9 members from the transgender community and is providing varied services to its registered population of 2000+ community members.