Amrita Sarkar: "Inclusivity is important in every sector."
November 15, 2022Amrita Sarkar (Transgender Wellbeing and Advocacy Advisor for India HIV/AIDS Alliance) spoke with myGwork for Trans Awareness Week, sharing her coming out story and what her workplace does to help ensure a safe and inclusive workspace for the trans community.
Image Credit: Amrita Sarkar
Amrita has been working for the LGBTQI+ community and especially for the transgender community for more than two decades and has been involved in numerous capacity building initiatives for the transgender communities at the national and international level. She is one of the founding members and the Secretary of IRGT – A Global Network of Trans Women and HIV. She is a member of TPATH (Transgender Professional Association for Transgender Health), IPATH and a Faculty Member of WPATH (World Professionals Association for Transgender Health). Amrita is also a part of the Transgender Technical Working Group, formed by the National AIDS Control Organisation, and currently works as the Transgender Wellbeing and Advocacy Advisor, at Alliance India, Delhi.
In India, she led various programmes designed for the transgender community. One of them was to help build the capacity of trans-led organizations, which was supported by SIDA (Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency) and was India’s first national level trans capacity building programme. She has been a part of the core working group formed by the National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), India to design trans specific intervention programmes under NACP IV and V (National AIDS Control Programme – Phase IV and V). From time to time, she was involved in spreading awareness around the individuals identified with non-binary sexuality and gender identify through educational institutes, corporates etc. On top of making three films on transgender issues, Amrita is a trained counsellor and has completed her post-graduation in social welfare, receiving an Honorary PhD for her work for the transgender community members.
If you feel comfortable sharing, could you tell us about your experience of coming out to friends and family?
I started to identify myself as a girl when I was in class III or IV. I used to wear female dresses etc. from my childhood. And I had very limited friends who could understand me. I came out to my mother in 2003 when my interview was published in a newspaper and same for my father in 2008 when my work has been published in an English daily.
What does your workplace do to ensure a safe and inclusive work environment for trans people?
I work for an NGO and we implement multiple programmes on HIV/AIDS and the key affected populations including transgender people. I have colleagues in this organization who also identify as transgender people. There are several communities which we are part of and at the workplace policy, there is mention about how to treat us with equal respect. Also, we have gender neutral washroom in our office. As an employee of the organisation, we are provided all the equal facilities, those are being enjoyed by the cis-gender employees. So, there is no division or difference based on our preferred gender role. More about our work can be found here.
Did you have any visible trans figures to look up to at the start of your career? Depending on your answer, how much did this impact your confidence in the workplace?
Not really, because during my upbringing time hardly there was any.
What do you think is the next course of action to improve conditions for trans people in the workplace and in wider society?
Inclusivity is important in every sector. I want to recommend for all the private and Gov organizations to make their polices inclusive for the transgender and other gender non-conforming people, and also for those who have non-binary sexual identities. There needs to be given redressal mechanism everywhere and equal opportunities need to be provided for such people. Also, time to time sensitization sessions on gender and sexuality need to be organized for the entire office staff involving the community leaders, which I do whenever I get any similar opportunity. The CSRs units and the D&I departments need to be more sensitive for people like to provide necessary support. Last but not least, no one should be victimized because of his/her preferred gender role and/or sexuality.
Related myGwork Articles:
James Blake: "Trans people are capable, strong, and resilient."
Daniel Coletti on Trans Allyship
Trans Awareness Week: Employers Must Work Harder to Promote Trans Inclusion
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