Transcend

The Trans community in the MENA region suffers from discrimination which prohibits them from accessing their basic rights to education and employment.

This in turn leads to serious economic hardship including significant struggles for trans individuals obtaining even basic human needs such as housing, food, water, health, and sanitation.

Through this project, we aimed to build the foundations for a sustainable program which sought to ensure equitable access to employment for trans individuals in Lebanon and Tunisia. Launched so that trans individuals can become agents of their own empowerment, lift themselves from abject poverty, and join the formal labor sector in both of their countries, the ultimate aim was to enable trans individuals to more fully enjoy their basic rights and provide for their basic needs.

The main goals of this campaign are:

– Reducing stigma and negative attitudes and beliefs against Trans individuals.

– Create an awareness about the right of employment for Trans individuals.

One of the major challenges facing such projects in the region is the lack of information and statistical data related to the trans communities in both Lebanon and Tunisia.

To counter this, our project conducted a limited survey with 75 Trans individuals in both countries in order to harvest crucial information aimed at project design.

This survey is geared to provide basic information about trans individuals’ educational level, work skills, talents, previous work experiences, optimal employment conditions, and challenges in the workplace that need to be addressed in order to ensure safety and prosperity.

More results

The results of this survey aim not only to provide a more accurate picture of what dynamics are at play, unique to trans individuals in these countries, but also to provide the first clues as to the industries, businesses, institutions, and employment agencies we need to reach out to for optimal results.

The project worked on capacity building by creating workshops for 35 trans individuals in Lebanon and Tunisia on how to use their existing skills, talents, and experiences as leverage for employment.

The project aimed to also train the surveyed Trans individuals on building competitive and optimal resumes (CV’s) and provide them with employment search and interview skills that will facilitate their applications to jobs at employer institutions previously researched, vetted, and selected by Transcend.

Transcend also advocated for the inclusion of Trans individuals in local workspaces and equity in employment, through a targeted social social media followed by a series of infographic visuals that presented the harvested and analyzed results of the survey.