Transgender inclusivity at workplace

Abstract

The status of transgender inclusivity in Ahmedabad workplaces has a long way to go. The transgender community is one of the communities that has been marginalised throughout history and has not been given adequate attention or opportunities. The literature review reveals that very little research has been done to examine transgender inclusivity in the workplace. Even those few studies do not focus on the perceptions of the working population OR the population that will enter the workforce soon. Throughout this project, the analysis revealed that attitudes and behaviours of working individuals are the areas that can bring out the maximum change for uplifting transgender experiences at the workplace and, consequently, are the areas that need the most action. The data also suggests that within the young adult population, women are far more likely to stand up for transgender rights within the workplace than are men. Women themselves are a gender that has been marginalised and not given equal rights. If only one marginalised gender understands the plight of the other, then a solution is far away. The needs of transgender need to be understood equally by people of all genders, religions and ages. Moreover, the review of the literature reveals that there is an initiative of leading Indian companies to make way for transgender employment. However, a deeper insight from interviews reveals that this initiative might be limited to mere marketing. Policies at the ground level need to be modified to make workplaces inclusive. After closely understanding the needs of transgender employees and studying various models of workplace inclusivity and policies implemented in different organisations, this project has attempted to frame a few recommendations that companies and organisations can benefit from to foster a trans-inclusive work environment. Further, the project has looked at the conditions of workplaces and proposed changes in the structure of policymaking and physical spheres by implementing gender-neutral restrooms.