INDIA (NBC NEWS) – The first transgender lawyer of India enrolled into bar council.
Sathyasri Sharmila registered with the Madras Bar Council Saturday to become the country’s first transgender lawyer.
Sathya said it has been her dream to become a judge and wants to see members of her community succeed in their fields.
In a landmark judgment in 2014, the Supreme Court ruled that transgender people had equal rights under the law.
However, transgender people in India continue to face persistent bias.
They are thrown out of their homes by their families, lack a formal education and are denied jobs.
They are forced into sex work, begging or dancing at weddings to make a living.
"Today I enrolled my name in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Bar council as the first transgender lawyer in India. I am so happy,” said Sathya.
