HCM CITY —  A project to support transgender women was launched on Thursday in HCM City by the Union of Science and Technology Associations (VUSTA)’s LIFE, and funded by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI). 

The project, “Transgender women’s demands for transgender legal, healthcare and social services, and gender sensitivity, or Trans-VOTE, will run from this month through the end of February.

It aims to raise create better conditions for transgender women and raise awareness about their needs and issues among the public, service providers and policymakers.

At the launching ceremony, director of Centre for Promotion of Quality of Life (LIFE), Nguyễn Nguyên Như Trang said the government and communities should pay more attention to transgender people’s needs for healthcare and employment, and recognise their vulnerable status.

Kyle Nunas, Canadian Consul in HCM City, said: “Changes are always difficult, but I believe that Vietnamese policymakers will create a law that provides better rights for the LGBT community in Việt Nam by doing this project.”

A transgender woman who wanted to remain anonymous said: “The most important thing for a transgender person is acceptance and equality in society.”

Đinh Thị Thu Thủy of the Ministry of Health’s Legal Department said the ministry was working on a draft law that would offer official legal status for transgender people in the country.

It is estimated that there are 290,000 to 480,000 transgender people in Việt Nam, or about 0.3-0.5 per cent of the population.

Many transgender people face discrimination and difficulties in relationships, job opportunities, and healthcare and social services, Thủy said.

Last year, another LIFE project, which ran from November 2017 to February 2018, provided healthcare services to more than 150 transgender people and disseminated thousands of documents about transgender people to medical facilities and the community. — VNS