The conference aimed to explore the challenges faced by transgender individuals, especially in light of the decriminalization of Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code by the Supreme Court of India.
It addressed issues such as social exclusion, subjugation, and discrimination faced by transgender people, as well as the importance of creating an inclusive environment for them.
The conference was held in a hybrid mode, with participants presenting their papers both online and offline. Honorable Justice C.B. Barowalia, the Lokayukta of Himachal Pradesh, was the chief guest and discussed the inclusion of transgender individuals in terms of familial relationships.
Prof. (Dr.) Nishtha Jaswal, the Vice Chancellor of HPNLU, delivered the inaugural address, emphasizing the social and legal inclusion of transgender persons based on international instruments and constitutional provisions.
The keynote address was given by Ms. Joyita Mondal, a Judge at Lok Adalat, West Bengal.
She highlighted the need for a change in societal perspectives towards transgender individuals and emphasized the importance of implementing the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019.
A plenary session was held in the afternoon, featuring discussions on transgender rights by experts in various fields.
The session included Prof. (Dr.) Devi Sirohi, Prof. (Dr.) Deepti Gupta, Prof. (Dr.) Rajesh Gill, Dr. Brindpreet Kaur, Dr. Upneet Lalli, Prof. (Dr.) Bhupinder Singh Brar, and Dr. Anupama Goel.
The valedictory address was given by Ms. Simran Shaikh Bharocha, Director (Transgender Health) at Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine. She spoke about the humanitarian aspects of transgender rights and emphasized that one's gender is a personal identity, not defined by others.
Over sixty participants submitted and presented papers on various aspects of transgender rights during the conference.
The event was organized by Dr. Ruchi Raj Thakur, and the vote of thanks was delivered by Prof. (Dr.) S.S. Jaswal, Registrar of Himachal Pradesh National Law University.