Breaking Boundaries: Tanya's Fight for Dignity as a Transgender Rohingya

Tanya, a transgender woman in the Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh, faces societal discrimination but perseveres as a beautician. Despite family rejection and community intolerance, she uses her skills to uplift herself and others, aspiring to change perceptions of transgender people in her community.

In Bangladesh's Kutapalong Refugee Camp, amidst the narrow lanes of the sprawling settlement, Tanya, a transgender beautician, stands out with her popular salon. However, beneath her carefully maintained facade, Tanya faces a hostile community hardly tolerating her existence.

Having fled Myanmar during the military crackdown in 2017, Tanya belongs to the Rohingya community, which sees transgender identity as a taboo. Despite these challenges, she has carved out a space for herself using her skills in hairstyling and makeup, finding hope within the refugee camp.

Training others within the transgender community, Tanya seeks to inspire change by advocating skill development over begging for survival. She dreams of a future where her identity does not overshadow her humanity. With the International Transgender Day of Visibility nearing, Tanya hopes her story will alter perceptions of transgender Rohingyas.

(With inputs from agencies.)