- Biden administration offers a $500,000 grant to fund intensive English professional development for transgender youth in Pakistan.
- Objective: teach English to Pakistani youth to boost global participation and improve workplace readiness.
- Program has three components: teachers from non-mainstream institutions, novice Pakistani teachers, and transgender youth plus Afghan teachers and students.
- Proposals $25,000 to $75,000 must offer intensive training for transgender youth aged 13 to 25 and Afghan teachers and students.
- State Department says funds support English learning for marginalized communities, not gender transition, and cites Pakistan's 2018 transgender rights law.
The Biden administration is offering a $500,000 grant to provide “intensive professional development courses for transgender youth” as part of an effort to teach English language skills in Pakistan, Fox News reported.
The grant’s objective is to teach the English language to Pakistani youth so that they can “better participate in the global community and prepare them for success in the workplace.”
Biden grant aims to promote English language learning of transgender youth and the professional development of English teachers in Pakistan
The grant is structured around three primary components:
- Professional Development for English Language Teachers from Non-Mainstream Institutions
- Professional Development for novice Pakistani English language teachers
- Professional Development for Transgender Youth and for Afghan Teachers, Students, and Young Professionals Residing in Pakistan
The program component that focuses on educating and training transgender youth is open to proposals ranging from $25,000 to $75,000.
The proposals should aim to carry out two primary tasks. Firstly, they should “provide intensive professional development courses specifically designed for Pakistani transgender youth aged between 13 to 25. Secondly, they should “offer intensive professional development opportunities to Afghan teachers, students, and young professionals currently living in Pakistan.”
These components aim to enhance trainees’ English language communication abilities and establish a professional alumni network. Participating teachers are expected to “share the knowledge and skills gained from these training sessions with their fellow English language professionals. Thereby, influencing the pedagogy in their schools and communities.”
Applicants interested in the grant program are also advised to address the following question. “What is the most effective way to reach the greatest number of Pakistani transgender youth and Afghan teachers, students, and young professionals from diverse locations across Pakistan?”
Grant aimed at enhancing language skills of marginalized communities in Pakistan and not for “gender transition” purposes
A representative for the State Department informed Fox News Digital that the education project focuses on transgender youth, just as it does with other “marginalized communities.” The spokesperson clarified that the grant funds are not intended for gender transition purposes.
“In this specific grant, the Department provides funding for English-language learning, an integral skill that helps unlock educational and employability opportunities, for marginalized communities. In this case, transgender youth,” the spokesperson said.
The State Department’s human rights report commended Pakistan’s Transgender Persons Protection of Rights Act in 2018. The report also recommended that Pakistan’s police force should prioritize measures to prevent escalating violence against transgender individuals.
Additionally, the report highlights that public venues in Pakistan were less likely to hold “transgender events” as compared to “religiously based anti-LGBTQI+ protests.”
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