Susan's Place Transgender Resources

In spite of 'transsexual' status, tourism firm didn't dither hiring her

Suma Mohan, 28, clearly mentioned her gender in the job application form. Equations not only called her for an interview, but also offered her the job. Suma joined the company as a program associate four months ago

S Kushala
Posted On Sunday, December 23, 2012 at 06:29:35 AM

http://www.bangaloremirror.com/article/1/2012122320121223062951128f27e431a/In-spite-of-%E2%80%98transsexual%E2%80%99-status-tourism-firm-didn%E2%80%99t-dither-hiring-her.html (http://www.bangaloremirror.com/article/1/2012122320121223062951128f27e431a/In-spite-of-%E2%80%98transsexual%E2%80%99-status-tourism-firm-didn%E2%80%99t-dither-hiring-her.html)

Stigmatised, misunderstood and discriminated against is usually the lot of someone born into the 'wrong body'. But Suma Mohan, who turned 28 only a few days ago, bravely wears her gender on her sleeve. When filling out a job application form for a vacancy in a tourism company, Suma, a BBM graduate with distinction, did not hesitate to fill the gender field with the word transsexual.

Kudos are in place for her employer, Equations, for not only calling her for an interview but also placing her. Suma joined Equations as a program associate four months ago, becoming the first transsexual to have joined a mainstream company in the capacity of a professional and only the third from the transgender community to have bagged a good job (of the other two, one works for Rajya Sabha member B Jayashree and the other works in the High Court of Karnataka).

[...]

According to Aditi Chanchani, director of Equations, the company hired Suma looking at her qualification and her background work in research — she was earlier working for Sangama, an NGO that works for transgenders. "As a company policy, we do not look at caste, creed or gender while recruiting people and don't have any discrimination at the workplace. We have had no issues with her. Since she is open about her gender, everyone has accepted her because she has fitted in very well and is good with her work,'' Chanchani told Bangalore Mirror.