The plight of third-gender : a baseline study of transgender persons in Pakistan

"The research finds a particularly high vulnerability for physical abuse and sexual violence among transgendered sex workers in Pakistan, as well as strong stigma and discrimination coming from family members and peers. Discrimination experienced by the respondents took on a number of forms: loss of employment and housing, denial of education, health services, physical and sexual harassment. Additionally, the baseline attempts to unfold some of the ways in which exploitation can be derived from self-identity, and how the formation and adoption of exploitation self-identities can make transgender groups in this cultural context uniquely vulnerable. The researchers of this study aim to provide a broad baseline of data that is descriptive of the holistic needs and vulnerabilities of transgender persons working in the entertainment industry in the guise of sex in Pakistan."