VIRUDHUNAGAR: At a time when graduates with an MBA degree were in great demand, P Saranya was the exception. She had the degree in 2009, but remained unemployed, not because of poor grades or lack of communication skills, but owing to her sexuality as she was a transgender woman. She was shown the exit door every time she applied for teaching positions at private institutions, but Saranya refused to let companies define her.
Similar was the case of Ramya Sri, a graduate in computer applications and has a degree in education, who was not initially accepted by her family when they learned of her sexuality. However, the two tides managed to get through rough times and land a respectable government job based on their qualification.
A few months back, the Virudhunagar district administration appointed Saranya as the head of district resource center panchayats and Ramya Sri as a data entry operator.
District collector J Meghanath Reddy recalls he was discussing with officials to hire educated people when he came across names of Saranya and Ramya Sri. “There was a discussion on hiring educated people looking for jobs. That is when I came to know of two trans persons also looking for employment. I thought we must help them in getting jobs, which would also inspire other transpersons,” he said.
Getting the job, however, was not a cakewalk or a charity. After being shut out, Saranya took up home tutoring and later started her own coaching institute. “I started by tutoring kids in my locality and impressed with my work, a few parents insisted that I tutor their children. That is when I set up an institute,” Saranya tells TNIE. Everything was going well until 2020 when the pandemic brought the world to a halt and her tutorial.
Saranya credits her success to her mother. “Luckily, I had my mother’s support ever since I opened up about my sexuality during my school days. She believed in me and took up loans for my education.”
Ever since she got the job, she has been repaying the loan in addition to managing her family’s expenses. This, she says, instills confidence in her. “Most importantly I feel proud that I could sow the seeds of self-belief to all transwomen in my community and change the perception of how people look at us.”
On the other hand, Ramya Sri had a difficult upbringing. She recalls that when she had first disclosed her sexuality to her family, she was taken to psychiatrists and counselors. She soon moved out of her parents’ house. “I stayed in Nagercoil for almost five years until my family accepted me,” she says, adding that she also wanted to pursue an MBA.
“I gave up pursuing MBA due to financial constraints while staying in Nagercoil,” says Ramya. Following prolonged health issues, among other struggles, Ramya’s mother asked her to return home and has been supportive ever since. Currently, Ramya is pursuing masters in social work (MSW). She calls the job just the beginning and hopes to achieve more for the trans community. She adds that every transgender could achieve their dream and reach heights if their family supports them.