First transgender beautician runs own salon in Karachi

KARACHI: A first transgender beautician has started her own beauty salon in Sindh’s capital.

Transgender, Bebo Haider, owns a beauty salon, named Trawah, who she runs for her transgender clients.

According to Haider, her clients who are mostly transgenders get their services from her salon.

“It is the only salon in Karachi who caters services to them without judgment”, said Haider.

A Dutch organization financed Haider’s project to empower the transgender community.

Haider said, “I jumped on the chance to open their own salon which according to the organization is the first transgender-owned and run beauty salon in Pakistan.”

She and her customers said, “Transgenders are often judged, harassed or even denied entry to other salons.” 

A 40-year-old owner of a milk shop next to the salon shared his experience of everyday interaction with Haider that he was not concerned with what Hairder’s gender was.

The milk shop owner, Mohammad Akram said,”Whenever she sees us, she greets us with a good heart and she meets everybody pleasantly.”

Haider said, “Awareness has started to spread now among the people that we can do respectable works also.”

Transgenders are also known as the third sex in the world.

Pakistan in 2009, became one of the first countries in the world to legally recognize third sex.