Yashika, a transgender student had been fighting a battle for the last nine months just to get a hostel room in her university.
“Finally (university) shown some inclusiveness and sensitivity,” she said as Panjab University on Monday finally allotted a room for her.
The university had previously stated that they did not have guidelines for any separate housing for transgenders and that the issue was “under active consideration,” Indian Express reported.
“As per the recommendation of a committee, one room in Faculty House, near Working Women’s Hostel, Sector- 14, Panjab University is allocated to Yashika, with normal hostel charges as per university rules,” read an official release of the Panjab University.
“I am happy that the PU has finally shown some inclusiveness and sensitivity by allotting a room to me. This is just the first step and I would request the university to have a separate housing facility for transgenders. They should be gender-sensitive,” Yashika said to the newspaper.
The student of MA in Human Rights and Duties programme who hail from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh had approached many authorities including Vice-Chancellor, Dean Student Welfare, and Registrar of the university, Chandigarh Deputy Commissioner, Additional Deputy Commissioner and Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, demanding an equal right and a gender-inclusive campus.
She also began a protest outside the VC office on 15 March with the support of a few student groups and had temporarily been adjusted in a guest house on the campus at Rajiv Gandhi College Bhawan after she had protested.
