Social prejudice and stigma in Bangladesh combine to exclude trans and intersex people, said Mahfuza Mala, a climate expert and gender justice activist who works for Naripokkho, a feminist organisation focused on gender issues. As a result, these groups are especially vulnerable to shocks such as the COVID-19 pandemic and extreme weather fuelled by climate change, including the devastating floods that have hit the northeast this month.
Already struggling to access work, education and other basic rights, trans and intersex people in Bangladesh are at greater risk from climate threats like floods and.
The Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Co-operatives, UNV Bangladesh, UNFPA, VSO, and WaterAid jointly organised an event, titled ‘Volunteering Contributions towards Community Development in Bangladesh’ recently in the capital’s Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel.