Bangladesh officially recognized the third gender in January 2014, but members of the transgender community continue to face social stigma and various other challenges in their everyday life. Megha Sharma Maya is one such transgender woman who has decided to face the challenges head on and pursue her dreams of becoming a cabin crew member for an airline.
Megha, 23, from Napitpara village in Thakurgaon, was born as a boy and was treated as such for a long time. However, when she was in the fourth grade, she realized that she preferred dressing and acting like a girl.
When she expressed this to her family and friends, the reaction was not positive to say the least. Nearly every day, she suffered beatings both at home and outdoors, but she continued to dream of becoming a cabin crew member.
“I was constantly pressured to act like a boy. I studied as a boy and even applied for jobs as a boy,” she said.
Megha was admitted to a Dhaka college in 2015, and she had been trying to turn herself into a girl ever since. In February this year, she finally underwent a gender assignment story and successfully transitioned into being a woman.
“This was the first step in my war. My father calls me a mother now and accepts me as his daughter. I have always wanted to be a cabin crew with my own identity,” Megha said.
Knowing of her wishes, a private training centre trained her to become an air hostess for free.
Subsequently, Megha came to know of a recruitment notice of US Bangla Airlines seeking cabin crews. But since there was no option for trans people, she applied as a woman for the first time in her life.
“I only had two options- men or women. It was an utter shock for me that I could not apply here as a transgender. But the well-wishers advised me to apply in the women's category,” she said, adding that she filed the application as a woman on Saturday.
She also called for transgender people to be truly recognized by including the option to select the third gender in all employment applications.
“Since we are transformed women, our body is not like that of a born woman. We want to establish our identity,” Megha said. “I only have two options everywhere - woman or man. But transgender people are nowhere to be found. People will accept us only when they acknowledge our existence in these places. People will be familiar with us if they see us being established everywhere,” she said.
She hoped the airline she applied to would consider and accept her application.
Megha wants to establish herself as a successful model as well as a cabin crew. She will join her first ramp show at an event on International Women’s Day on March 8.