ISLAMABAD: After facing rejection from her family, Marvia Malik, the first transgender woman to become a television anchor in Pakistan, decided to prove to her family and society that she could do anything.

At a youth convention at the Pakistan National Council of Arts (PNCA) on Thursday, Ms Malik spoke about her past experiences as well as her achievements, recalling how she supported herself by pursuing beauty courses at a parlour after leaving her parents’ house while also continuing her studies at the University of Punjab.

“Now I am the first transgender anchor in Pakistan, which is an honour for me, but I must say that this journey was very thorny. But now I can show my parents and society that I, and many others like me, are able to do anything in their lives if they are provided with support,” she said.

She also welcomed the new transgender rights bill that was recently passed by the National Assembly, but emphasised the need for effective implementation of this and other laws in order to make the transgender community as effective part of society.

Ms Malik was speaking at the Youth Convention and All Inclusive Youth Mela held to embrace the achievements of the Pakistani youth. It featured performances, talks by youth leaders and trans youth, documentary screenings and cultural stalls selling products and food.

The convention was organised by Oxfam Pakistan, the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the French embassy.

Sana, a law student from International Islamic University Islamabad who attended the event, said the youth should be involved in the development process at every level, and could change the fate of the country if utilised properly.

She said that she had begun various initiatives to engage young people in playing a role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), which she became aware of after she attended an event held at her university.

Oxfam Country Director Mohammad Qazilbash said that with their energy, skills and creativity, the youth of Pakistan had the potential to be a driving force for social change, strong economies and vibrant democracies.

“Pakistan at present has the largest percentage of young people, with 64pc of its population below 30 years of age. Harnessing the energy and strength of these young people and encouraging them to become active citizens is the goal of Oxfam’s transformational change,” he said.

The French embassy’s Head of Development and Cultural Affairs André de Bussy discussed the French perspective on youth and gender and stated that they have implemented new policies to address gender inequality and to encourage inclusivity in France.

The deputy head of mission at the Embassy of the Netherlandssaid: “Netherlands encourages inclusiveness and equality, and I am so glad to see men, women and transgender youth on one platform. We hope to promote tolerance and peace through engaging and empowering the young generation and we look forward to such activities in the future.”

Stalls outside the PNCA auditorium showcased the work of youngsters, including handmade decorative pieces, fabric, doormats and many other colourful traditional items.

Mashaal Khalid from the Women University in Swabi, who was displaying her textile products, told Dawn that Pakistan had a great number of talented youth but space to cater to them was shrinking day by day.

“Where we live, we are not allowed to pursue a career; therefore, we don’t have any place to showcase our work. There is need to change this mindset as girls can also play their role in development of any nation and should be provided their rights to decide for themselves,” she said.

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2018