Breaking Barriers: Raghavi’s Inspiring Journey As India’s First Transgender SC Lawyer

In an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat, Raghavi shared her incredible journey to reach the topmost court in the country.

New Delhi: Meet Raghavi, the first lawyer from the transgender community to practice in the Supreme Court of India. In an exclusive interview with ETV Bharat, Raghavi shared her incredible journey to reach the topmost court in the country.

According to Raghavi, the transgender community faces widespread discrimination in the country, and one needs real courage to stand up and fight them.

Raghavi graduated with a law degree in 2023 from the Campus Law Centre of Delhi University, a prestigious law school in the country with eminent jurists, including Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna, as its alumni. Hailing from Delhi, Raghavi said it was challenging to survive among her peers who come from different backgrounds.

“You can get bullied at any time. Discrimination can happen to you at any time,” Raghavi said, adding that she found it difficult to find a place to practice as many turned their faces because of her being transgender. She is happy that she could finally reach the Supreme Court of India.

Raghavi said that she organises workshops and awareness camps to make the transgenders aware of their rights. “We are working in collaboration with many government agencies so that the people of the transgender community can know about their rights and the legal facilities that they should get from the government,” she added.

In order to get rid of the discrimination against the transgender community, Raghavi said that the government should bring them under the purview of reservation. Separate toilets and separate facilities should be provided for them.

According to Raghavi, members of the transgender community face a lot of problems regarding admission to educational institutions and changing any of their documents. Apart from this, if they want to adopt someone, then they also face a lot of problems in adoption.

Raghavi told that the new Indian Justice Code does not cover the rape of transgenders. “Anyone can be raped, be it a man or a woman. There is a long history of incidents like rape with transgenders. Many cases of sexual harassment keep coming to light. There is a need for awareness and strict action to stop these incidents. I am working to fight the issues of such victims for free,” she added.

Raghavi has also been honoured with the Mata Ahilyabai Holkar Mahila Samman for her efforts to uplift the transgender community.

Courtesy: ETV Bharat

Note: This news is originally published on https://www.etvbharat.com and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights.