A decade before, transgender was not welcomed or accepted in workplaces. Today, especially in states like Kerala by introducing the transgender policy, the psycho-social climate has changed for the better for the third gender.
Zara Sheikha is an HR executive with UST Global. It’s for the first time an MNC has appointed a transgender in their workforce. Zara has achieved her dream, fighting alone against the attitude of people towards her gender. She is sharing her journey of success with Brand Kerala.
She is full of pride, when she says, “All these years I lived like a man. I was bullied and had to face severe harassment while I was working in a firm in Abu Dhabi. I always wanted to live like a woman. I am thankful to UST
Global for selecting me as one of their HR executives.” Jijo Kuriakose, who works with Queerala, an NGO that supports the LGBTQ community helped Zara to reach the heights she dreamed. One of her friends helped her to secure the job. After three rounds of intense selection processes, she was appointed in the HR wing. She says, “All 65 members of the HR team in UST Global are incredibly supportive.”
She adds, “The Company was ready to offer a job accepting my transgender status. I was truly surprised by the attitude of my colleagues. I never thought they could consider me as one among them. Breaking all pre-conceived notions, they were happy to join me, and they all respect my identity. I was permitted to use the ladies’ washroom and toilets.”
There are quite a lot of incidents during her childhood that she doesn’t want to remember. While she was in school, other students us derogatory terms to address her. Her father used to yell at her for playing with girls all the time. He was worried that this would bring shame to their family. She says, “Behave like a man! I have heard this several times in different stages of my life. When I was ten years old, I told my sister that I want to be a girl, live like a girl.
My sister was the first person to accept me, and she tried to convince our parents. But they never changed their mind believing that I will change my attitude of becoming a girl sooner or later. Though she hid her identity where ever she worked, people could recognize the difference in her behavior. They many times harassed and taunted her. It was just two years before that she decided to reveal her identity. She worked with some organizations working for transgender and decided to live the rest of her life as one among them.
She says, “Today perhaps I might be the first transgender HR executive to be employed by an MNC, which will transform the lives of people like me. It has been eight months since I have done my sex reassignment surgery from Bangalore.
Zara was born as Nishant, a shy introvert boy, and later, Zara Sheikha, a woman filled with confidence to conquer the world. With Kerala taking up more initiatives to become an all-inclusive state that helps the transgender community, Zara is all for the empowerment of other members of her community.
“Now I have a good job; I have a peaceful life too. I wish that all the people in my community should lead a good life. I am 26 years old now. Though the woman in me has just turned one year now I need a partner who can understand, accept and care better,” Zara was proud and happy of herself while saying this.
