Access to finance is a fundamental condition for poverty reduction, job creation, income generation and social protection. However, some disadvantaged groups still experience limited access to employment and finance, including transgender people. They still face the highest level of discrimination, including in relation to employment opportunities.

To provide better access to finance for transgender people, the ILO conducted a five-day Training of Trainers (ToT) on Financial Education in Karawaci, Tangerang Selatan, from 11-15 September 2017. A total of 26 female and male transgender from various transgender organizations participated in the training.

The first of its kinds, the ToT aimed to help transgender people and their organizations to develop necessary skills to more effectively manage their income and expenses, avoid debts and save part of the income for their future plans. The ToT also helped them start and manage future businesses or create employment opportunities.

“Considering significant discrimination faced by female and male transgender at all stages of employment, it is hoped that by being able to effectively manage the finance, the participating transgender would be able to create their own businesses and develop their own employment opportunities as entrepreneurs or businesspersons,” stated Michiko Miyamoto, ILO’s Country Director in Indonesia.

The participatory ToT combined in-class sessions and practical exercises. The sessions included skills improvement on, among others, income and expense management, devastating impact of debts, saving plans and programmes and budget development.

“At the end of the ToT we hope that participants would be equipped with improved skills on financial management so that they can shift from a subsistence-based livelihood to more sustainable entrepreneurial activity,” said Tendy Gunawan, the ILO’s programme officer for financial education.

To make this ToT unique was that the ToT also included a learning session on the prevention of HIV and AIDS at the workplace. Considered as a vulnerable group to HIV and AIDS, Grace Halim, co-facilitator of the ToT who is also the ILO’s programme officer for HIV prevention, emphasized the needs for participants to understand both financial management and HIV prevention.

“Thus, they will be well-equipped not only with improved skills on financial management and entrepreneurial, but also with better understanding about HIV preventions,” added Grace.

To ensure the capability of the participants as trainers, the last two days of the ToT were dedicated for practical exercises where all participants took over the training sessions and acted as trainers. The practical sessions sharpened the training skills that they previously learnt.

“I really appreciate this experience as this will be useful not only for myself, but also for my organization and transgender community. I will further transfer my knowledge to my communities. I hope that by managing finance well, my community and I will have less pressure on finances and in return will not accept request of not using condom out of financial reason,” told Anggun Sanjaya, one of the participants from the transgender organization named Srikandi Ciamis.

Similar aspiration were also shared by other participants. “A well-managed income is very important for transgender community. We are still very weak in financial management so that we can avoid being trapped in vicious circle of debts,” said Lenny Sugiharto, who is also the Director of the Srikandi Sejati, a transgender organization.