The ‘Other’ passport: A momentous victory for third genders in Nepal

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Bhumika Shrestha made history by becoming the first Nepali person to hold a Nepalese passport marked ‘O’ for ‘Other’. The transgender activist also became the first Nepali citizen to travel with the documents that proves the country legally recognizes the ‘third gender’.

Nepal’s Supreme court ruled in 2007 that Nepali citizens could select their gender based on their ‘self feeling’. The Nepal Election Commission also announced that the voters could register to vote as the third gender. The 2011 Nepal Census became the first ever attempt by a country, to count the votes cast by three genders.

Shrestha’s life turned a corner when she participated in Miss Pink, a transgender beauty pageant, organized in 2007 by Blue Diamond Society, an NGO that advocates for transgender rights. The school drop-out won the pageant and found a voice as an activist for her fellow peers. She also became the first transgender in Nepal Congress.

Sunil Pant, the founder of Blue Diamond Society and Nepal’s first openly gay politician, confirms that Bhumika’s activism has been instrumental in forming the new Nepal, where transgender rights are acknowledged.

“I felt so happy holding that piece of paper. For so long I had fought for my right to my identity. It was a very proud moment,”said Bhumika to theguardian.com.

It can be argued that for a developing country like Nepal, the constitutional recognition of third genders is monumental.