Transgenders help kids tackle sexual abuse in Mumbai

One couldn't have asked for a better way to celebrate Children's Day. In a one-of-a-kind event, members of the transgender community imparted lessons on good and bad touch to 50 children, who had gathered in Bibewadi on Tuesday. Chandani Gore, 28, who is professional dancer and a social activist and her friends Mayuri alias Ashwarya, 29, and Ambika Gabrel, 30, along with Rajashree Shinde, 35, conduc­ted a three-hour-long session to tackle the issue of sexual abuse.

Participants at the three-hour-long session in Bibewadi, Pune

Gore, who also launched the Nirbhaya Trust for children, women and transgenders, said, "As a child, I faced a lot of sexual abuse, but I did not know whether the touch was good or bad. Considering the alarming rape and sexual abuse cases against children, I felt that it was important to address the issue."

During the session, which was open to children between the age of 4 and 13, Gore and her team discussed how to deal with sexual abuse. "We had to be sensitive because we were speaking to children. So, we used stories, games and puzzles to talk about the elephant in the room," Gore said.

The children also came out better informed. Amit Mashke, 13, said, that it was only after the session that he realised why his mother was always so protective of his sister. "I have seen men behave strangely in public loos, and it has now become clear that the touch is bad. This was never told to me by my parents," he said.