PESHAWAR: A civil society organisation on Friday launched an Android-based application, Trans-Muhafiz, to help report violence against transgender persons.

Blue Veins programme coordination Qamar Naseem told reporters at the Peshawar Press Club here that the transgender persons was a marginalised community in the country.

He said the community lived life under very difficult circumstances amid high incidence of harassment, violence, service denial and unfair treatment in the areas of employment and housing and public accommodation.

Mr Naseem said the Trans-Muhafiz’ app was the first of its kind in the country, unique and simple to use in case of emergency, which could be easily downloaded and installed.

“This Android application has been developed to improve the reporting of violence against transgender community. It has both online and offline reporting options. An online violence reporting system will create a more empowering reporting experience for transgender survivors, provide authorities with better evidence and data on violence, and facilitate the identification of perpetrators,” he said.

The software programme has both online, offline reporting options

The Blue Veins representative said the use of the latest technology would help empower transgender community in raising voice against violence by developing an easier and more accessible reporting system for them.

“This app’s users will have to add emergency contacts of the people, who will get alerts in case of emergency. In online report system of the app, not only text messages can be sent but violence can also be reported through voice massage, picture and video. In case of unavailability of Internet facility, the user can turn to offline option, which will on pressing offline option send SMS to added emergency contacts along with the location of accident,” he said.

Mr Naseem said the Blue Veins would host and maintain the app during and beyond the project’s timeline and that it would help transgender community report the violence case by rescue option at the time of violence or can also report it by sending video or voice message.

TransAction Alliance provincial general secretary Arzu Khan said a large number of violence cases were reported in various districts of the province by the people through mobile phone calls, Whatsapp groups, Facebook and word of mouth and most of them weren’t documented.

She said 54 transgender persons had been killed in KP since 2015, while 607 cases of violence had been reported by the community.

Arzu said seven transgender persons were killed in KP in 2017, while 208 cases of different kinds of violence, including sexual harassment, rape, gang rape, torture, extortion, denial of access to services, and misbehaviour at police stations and public spaces.

TransAction Alliance Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President Farzana Jan welcomed the launch of the Trans-Muhafiz and declared it a historical and defining moment for transgender community.

“For the first time in the country’s history, we’ve an Android application promising our personal safety,” he said.

Pakhtunkhwa Civil Society Network coordinator Taimur Kamal said the right to life, protection and security were the fundamental rights of the people under the Constitution but transgender persons were killed or subjected to violence everyday in violation of their basic rights.

Published in Dawn, January 6th, 2018