From Family to Society: A Qualitative Exploration of Social Exclusion and Well-being of Transgender Individuals in Swat, Pakistan

It has been a fact that familial support is a strong predictor of well-being (Kareem et al., 2023). Well-being is necessary for every individual, as it is the state of general life satisfaction. However, transgender individuals are often seen living a life in their communities away from their families. The current study explores familial and societal exclusion that affect the well-being of transgender individuals in District Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. Using a qualitative method of thematic analysis, informed by the principle of data saturation, the research with 15 participants of transgender community employs in-depth interviews, complemented by a single FGD, to reveal the significant impacts of family acceptance and rejection. The results show that family stigma and discrimination fundamentally affect the well-being of transgender individuals. When rejected by their families, most of them are driven to the transgender community, a choice that comes with mixed emotional and social issues and vice versa. The research emphasises the central importance of family relationships in the lives of transgender individuals. Lack of family support renders transgender individuals socially and economically marginalised, which consequently denies them access to necessary services such as basic life needs. Moreover, homelessness, economic marginalisation and assaults are the consequences of familial rejection. The findings highlight the need for interventions and policies to facilitate supportive family settings. All these measures are important for the comprehensive social integration of transgender individuals, especially since they have gender-based family issues.