Identity: Aradhiya Khan

"It is quite hard sometimes to stand up for something you believe in and for fighting for that too. I believe we only have one life to bring change; we can better contribute towards changing things and well-being of the people. Transgender community deserves the dignity and respect that most people take for granted. I own my womanhood. Trans women ARE women and we deserve the same respect and rights."

Aradhiya Khan is a young Pakistani trans-activist, social worker and a motivational speaker who has dedicated the past four years of her life towards promoting trans equality, human rights and other causes such as child rights, women empowerment and minority rights. She has been associated with organisations that seek to promote social and economic inclusion of the transgender community, and has participated in the drafting of Sindh Transgender Rights Policy Act 2020.

Aradhiya has actively represented the transgender community and their struggles on various platforms, including national and international media outlets such as Express Tribune, Dawn News, Al Jazeera and VOA Urdu. She has been the recipient of the US State Department-funded International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) in 2019, and has been awarded the Fatima Jinnah and Shaheed Benzair Bhutto award by Sindh Commission on the Status of Women (SCSW) and the 25under25 award by The Little Arts for being one of the young inspiring transwomen in Pakistan.