Election Observation in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP)
Born in the Sukkur district of Sindh, unlike other children of her age, Sanam Faqeer had a rather tough childhood because people felt she was different. She had 10 siblings and was the ninth in the order of birth. She was doted upon by her parents and her five sisters, however, her four brothers could not stand her.
Sanam’s father was an Imam at the local mosque. She was a particularly bright student and had memorized the first ten chapters of the Holy Quran at a young age. Her time at school was spent being bullied by other children because she was different, but she stuck around until the eighth grade when she had to leave the school because her father got paralysis.
She took it upon herself to support her family at that young age and started a clothing business. The circumstances did not seem to favor her because her father passed away soon after. Little did Sanam know that her life was going to take an even more drastic shift right after this huge loss. The attacks on her both emotional and physical by her brothers started increasing and became more regular. With no father figure to protect her any longer, her mother did try to deescalate the situation, however, she failed.
At 14, she realized she could no longer live in her family home. The one event that made her lose her bearings was when she was attacked by one of her brothers and she completely gave up and lay still on the floor. As Sanam narrates the event, “I was at home when my brother attacked me with a sharp stick. I had no idea what to do so I lay still on the ground ready to be brutally hit by my brother. My mother intervened timely. However, at that moment as I lay motionless on the ground I realized this was my last moment in this home.”
Sanam eventually moved out of her place because she also felt her existence could prove difficult for the marriage prospects of her sisters, whom she dearly loved and did not want to jeopardize their future. She kept her clothing business while the other transgenders helped her transition to her new life. An individual from the business community trusted her enough to loan her some money upon seeing her drive and commitment. It helped her grow her business, and to earn the extra cash she continued dancing at events with her friends.
While she was happily pursuing her life, tragedy hit again as she lost her mother. The dynamics at home had changed multifold now – while her sisters welcomed her with open arms, the brothers’ hatred had not subsided, so she went back as a mere stranger to attend the funeral and left. Tragedy ensued yet again when one of her sisters lost her husband, the other brothers abandoned her and so Sanam stepped in. At this point, she was supporting herself, her sister, and her children, along with other transgenders and people who needed her help. She was doing well financially and used this opportunity to serve others.
After becoming financially secure, she ventured further to extend her popularity in social circles. She helped mobilize a transgender cricket team and won against the men’s team thereby proving to the world that their gender did not mean they were weak or any less than others.
In 2011, the Supreme Court gave transgendered persons the right to vote. Sanam decided to go a step further and resolved to contest the elections instead of merely voting for a candidate. She did this to represent her community and was asked to step down when she stood for election in 2013. She ignored the amassing social pressure and despite financial and social setbacks, she prevailed. Among 48 candidates, she came in fourth and was able to garner 900 plus votes. Even though she was unable to win – she again proved to the world there is nothing that can hold her back, not her gender, not societal pressure.
Sanam’s story is a ray of hope for the transgender community as it lays the groundwork for a better future for them. At the moment she is working in a non-government organization for the right of her fellow transgender. Like many other transgender people in her community, she too was severely repressed by the circumstances around her, but she took it upon herself to prove to the world that she was not inferior to anyone just because of her gender, she too could compete with others even though a level playing field was absent. Her story does make one wonder why the world seems to hold transgender with much less regard. They are strong, capable, and equally, if not more, likely to succeed than any other gender. It is time we let go of our internally indoctrinated bias and move forward with a better and more inclusive mindset that makes us a partner and facilitator in their achievements, instead of a barrier.