3 min readPuneOct 22, 2024 10:43 PM IST
First published on: Oct 22, 2024 at 10:43 PM IST
With the Maharashtra Assembly elections due in less than a month, the Election Commission is stepping up efforts to register voters, especially members of the transgender community.
Over the years, several from the trans community have been selected as poll icons nationwide. With Pune registering only 794 voters from the transgender community so far, district collector Suhas Diwase told The Indian Express that they have chosen Prerana Waghela as a trans icon as she has been instrumental in encouraging and motivating the community to get enrolled as voters. However, the journey of this 42-year-old trans icon has not been easy and she attributes her success to her family’s relentless support.
Born male, Prerana understood why she felt different and accepted her feminine identity. “At that time, I faced bullying and teasing at school and college, but could sail through entirely due to my family’s support,” she said.
Prerana, who has been on the Lok Adalat panel, is also the secretary of the Mangal Mukhi Kinnar Charitable Trust. Engaged in advocacy and training programmes in the trans community, she strongly feels the need for a trans person to represent the community in the local/state/national bodies so that issues concerning them can be raised and resolved.
“We need laws that are favourable to the trans community,” said Prerana, actively reviewing and creating Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies at her firm. Her father is a retired official from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation while her mother is a home maker. She has two elder brothers.
A voracious reader, Prerana recalled her journey and how determined she was to complete her studies. She completed her Master’s in Education and underwent a sex reassignment surgery two decades ago. With a lack of opportunities for her gender in the field of education, Prerana moved to Pune from Mumbai. She now works as an HR manager at an IT firm.
`”I wanted to work in a place where I could stay true to myself and be who I really am,” Prerana told The Indian Express. “Hence I feel very proud to be a trans icon as it provides an opportunity to convince and encourage others from the community to exercise their franchise. It also paves the way for trans rights,” she added.
“In many cases, trans persons do face challenges as they do not have adequate documentation. However, voter awareness drives have been conducted. In this democratic festival, voting is not just our right but it can empower us to ensure that our issues are heard,” added Prerana.
Involved in inclusive leadership programmes, Prerana has worked with several prominent NGOs towards training and capacity building of the trans community.
“I have been sensitizing key stakeholders in the government so that we can make a difference in the lives of fellow trans individuals,” said Prerana, who has been relentlessly challenging stereotypes to create an understanding of the trans community. With an aim to transform lives, Prerana hopes to use her opportunity as a trans icon to reach out to many and help create more opportunities for the community.
Prerana, who has been on the Lok Adalat panel, is also the secretary of the Mangal Mukhi Kinnar Charitable Trust (File Phoo) 
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