Threads Weaving Dignity

On a sunny afternoon in Ariyankuppam, a gentle hum of conversation fills M Girija's modest home in Puducherry.

- BAGALAVAN PERIER B @ Puducherry

On a sunny afternoon in Ariyankuppam, a gentle hum of conversation fills M Girija's modest home in Puducherry. A room is temporarily transformed into a gathering space as she hosts her monthly meeting with members of the Annalakshmi Trust—an organisation set up and spearheaded by her to provide job opportunities to transwomen.

"My life journey was not a cakewalk," Girija recounts—a narrative woven with threads of adversity, endurance, and remarkable transformation. She recalls her childhood, marked by the challenges of being the third child in a family of five. "I was forced to leave school due to bullying during my early stages of transition. I worked as a wage labourer in factories for three to four years in my teenage years. Since my family didn't accept my natural transformation, I left for Mumbai when I was 18," she recounts.

Five years later, Girija returned home, having survived her time in Mumbai, only to find that her family's attitude had remained unchanged. "We first need support from our families. Only then will society stand with us," she reflects. Time, however, worked its magic and softened her family's stance. "Now they talk to me and invite me for functions."