The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Counselling in the pipeline for marginalised groups, students

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Friday, Jul 11, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Counselling in the pipeline for marginalised groups, students

Ramya Kannan

Muslim women, transgenders will also be offered the service

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Social Welfare Board has worked out a plan to offer counselling services to the marginalised groups and students in need of handholding in government schools. For the first time, Muslim women and transgenders will also be offered counselling.

The Social Welfare Board already runs 63 family counselling centres throughout the State. “But hitherto, there is no State-sponsored scheme of counselling for Muslim women and transgenders, who seem to have different needs. That is why we have decided to offer them some form of support,” said Salma, chairperson of the Tamil Nadu Social Welfare Board.

The counselling centre for transgenders will be set up in Chennai, at a cost of Rs. 3 lakh sanctioned by the Central Social Welfare Board. “The identities, needs, and concerns of the transgenders are completely different. That also means that counselling should be specially tailored for their requirements,” Ms. Salma said.

A committee comprising representatives of transgenders and non-governmental organisations working with them has been constituted to provide advice and support to counsellors appointed to interact with transgenders who seek their help. The centre will be inaugurated in the next couple of weeks.

Counselling centres for Std. X and Plus Two students of government, corporation and Adi-Dravidar schools in Tiruchi will also be opened soon. Both boys and girls who may otherwise have no access to counselling will benefit from this project that will provide counselling on examinations and career planning.

On Thursday, a family counselling centre was launched for Muslim women at a function presided over by Social Welfare Minister Geeta Jeevan. “Muslim women often have no forum to express their grievances, be it marital issues, divorce, education or economic independence. This centre, based in Triplicane, will seek to address the problem,” Ms. Salma said.

The police have also been sensitised to the need for referring cases of Muslim women requiring such services to the counselling centre.

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