Abante bagong babae: transgender woman labor discrimination and resiliency in the Cavite Export Processing Zone.

Abstract

Among the LGBT sector, the transgender population are prone to prejudices because of their evident deviation from heteronomativity due to their “cross-dressing” attribute which is not commonly observed in the lesbians, gays and bisexuals. The existing works on the transgender discrimination in the Philippines is a mere enlistment of the injustices that this sector experienced. The systemic inequalities imposed to this marginalized sector are evident in their economic aspect. This study primarily aims to identify an in-depth description and explanation on the discrimination that the female-identified transgender experienced in the Cavite ExportProcessing Zone. Secondly, the research additionally tries to incorporate the coping mechanism in the perspective of the female-identified transgender and the political phenomenon behind it. The paper will also assess the implication of the government’s role on providing adequate protection on the labor rights of the transgender population. This qualitative research primarily relies on the theories on Transgender Productivity and critical Trans politics worldview that will be carried out by using Grounded Theory and Triangulation method. Different forms of interviews will be conducted in order to answer the questions on discrimination, resiliency and government accountability. The study hypothesized that the transgender discrimination is evident in the Cavite Export-Processing Zones and they have developed coping mechanisms in able to resist this harsh conditions and continue working. These inequalities identified are attributed to the systemic government neglect that is supported from the concept of social exclusion principle. This study seeks to utilize this research as a mileage to express the Transgender woman’s concerns on the continuing repression they have experienced in the society.