Transgender Welfare Equity and Empowerment Trust (TWEET) Foundation is a transgender-led community organization registered in India, which aims to encourage the community’s visibility by empowering them with the right skill set and mindset. TWEET Foundation is currently based out of New Delhi and Mumbai. It was established by seven trans activists in 2015 to serve the young trans movement, especially the transmen community that faces extreme gender-based violence and has been highly invisibilized. TWEET Foundation works to provide critical support to young trans men and trans women such as crisis support, short shelter stay, health and legal resources and skill building and inclusive employment opportunities. The organization has been registered under the Mumbai (Maharashtra) Charity Commissioner Act since 15th May 2017.
Building an empowered, self-sufficient, and vibrant Trans movement in India involves a comprehensive approach that addresses various aspects of transgender individuals' lives, including their welfare, education, medical treatment, legal standing, and cultural and social well-being. Here's an elaboration on each component: Welfare of Transgender Individuals: This entails providing support systems and resources to ensure the well-being of transgender individuals. It includes access to shelters, healthcare services, mental health support, and assistance for those facing economic hardships or homelessness due to discrimination. Education: Education plays a crucial role in empowering transgender individuals and breaking the cycle of marginalization. This involves ensuring access to quality education at all levels, from primary to higher education, as well as promoting awareness and sensitivity training within educational institutions to foster inclusivity and combat discrimination. Medical Treatment: Transgender individuals often require specific medical treatments, including hormone therapy and gender-affirming surgeries, to align their physical characteristics with their gender identity. Building a vibrant Trans movement involves advocating for access to affordable and gender-affirming healthcare services, as well as challenging discriminatory practices within the healthcare system. Legal Standing: Transgender individuals in India face numerous legal challenges, including lack of recognition of their gender identity, discrimination, and violence. Strengthening the legal standing of transgender individuals involves advocating for legal reforms to recognize and protect their rights, including the right to self-identify their gender and protection against discrimination in employment, housing, healthcare, and other areas. Culture and Social Well-being: Promoting cultural acceptance and social inclusion is essential for the well-being of transgender individuals. This includes challenging harmful stereotypes and stigma through advocacy, promoting positive representation of transgender individuals in media and popular culture, and creating safe spaces and supportive communities where transgender individuals can freely express their identity without fear of judgment or violence. To achieve these goals, collaboration among various stakeholders, including government agencies, non-governmental organizations, activists, healthcare providers, educators, and community leaders, is essential. Additionally, raising awareness, mobilizing resources, and advocating for policy changes are critical strategies for advancing the rights and well-being of transgender individuals in India.
Background: There are more than 487,803 transgender people report in Indian census in 2011. Being sexual and gender minority transgender people face acute gender base violence, rejection, stigma and lack of opportunity to live life with dignity & accepted as a citizen of India. Still majority (almost 80%) transgender people (especially trans women and other trans identities) survive on sex work, begging or badhai (traditional Hijra community ritual to give blessing and support during the auspicious of happy occasions in society). The suicide rate in India for the transgender population is a staggering 31%. About half of these have attempted suicide before the age of 20 (Virupaksha et al., 2016). 46.3% of transgender people have a lifetime presence of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), and 28.73% reported themselves to be currently engaging in NSSI (Saraswathi & Praveen, 2015). This group faces family rejection, unemployment, mental abuse, workplace discrimination. Due to fear of parental rejection, transgender people, leave their homes, which increases the risk of being alone and living their lives in poverty (Pisani et al., 2004). Young transgender people are more vulnerable due to the lack of support for the gender affirmation care, free gender change surgeries and constant mental health issues due to lack of acceptance and bullying in society. TWEET Foundation was established to empower young trans movement and address gender inequality by empowering transgender lives to access welfare services in India.
Trans Provided Various Services
Provided Shelter Support In India
Trans* Helpline Supoprt
Trans leaders Empowered
Trans* Skilled
Welfare Support
Trans* Employed
Stakeholders Sensitized on Trans* Issues
Our mission is to empower the transgender community in India, enabling them to become self-sufficient. We aspire to achieve this through a comprehensive