Lamea Tanjin Tanha
2023 IVLP Impact Award Project: Embracing Diversity, Building Economic SustainabilityBangladesh
Lamea Tanjin Tanha is a 23-year-old social entrepreneur, activist, and advocate for sexual, reproductive, and transgender health and rights. She is pursuing an undergraduate degree in English at University of Dhaka. Lamea is an Ashoka Young Changemaker, ALLY Fellow, Peace First Fellow and the Diana Award 2021 recipient. She won the DUCSU election 2019 as a Sufia Kamal Hall General Member. She founded TransEnd, a non-profit organization that aims to bridge the gap between the transgender, hijra and gender-diverse community and the mainstream community through education, training, healthcare, employment and entrepreneurship.
2023 IVLP Impact Award Project: Embracing Diversity, Building Economic Sustainability
Tanha’s project identified and promoted entrepreneurship opportunities for marginalized gender-diverse individuals. The project focused on empowering individuals from the hijra, non-binary, intersex, and overall gender-diverse communities through handicrafts training and public arts & crafts exhibitions, addressing key issues such as social stigma, economic marginalization, and lack of opportunities for creative expression. The project also fostered economic sustainability and promoted social inclusion.
Ten handicraft training sessions were conducted, tailored to the needs and interests of 43 marginalized gender-diverse participants. The participants were equipped with essential skills in handicraft production, including techniques in upcycling beaded jewelry, crafting with recycled materials, and marketing strategies. At the end of the project, an arts and crafts exhibition was organized to showcase the creative talents of the participants. The event attracted 120 people from the community and provided a platform for participants to display their handmade products, raising awareness and appreciation for their craftsmanship. Tanha has shared that because of the project training, 17 of the participants are actively pursuing professions as entrepreneurs in the arts and crafts sector.
"I never thought I could turn my passion for arts into a source of income. Thanks to this project, I now have the confidence and skills to showcase my artwork and contribute to my family's finances." - Project participant
2022 IVLP Impact Award Project: Embracing Diversity, Building Peace
The project reduced hate speech towards the transgender and gender-diverse community in the digital space in Bangladesh through campaigns, workshops and counselling. The transgender community in Bangladesh is more vulnerable than other local communities, as its members are prone to being bullied verbally, physically, and mentally. This project tackled such issues with activities such as baseline surveys and security analyses, workshops on digital literacy and cybersecurity, psycho-social support for victims, online awareness campaigns, and focus group discussions.
The activities were launched in 5 cities and reached more than 700 marginalized and underrepresented transgender people, hijra and gender-diverse people and sensitized at least 5,000 cis gender people on transgender rights, turning them into allies.
"I grew as a result of the workshop, and I tried to apply what I learned there in my personal and social life. Other respondents shared their experience and eagerness to participate in any future project activities." - Focus group participant
IVLP Exchange Experience
Tanha participated in the IVLP Project A Global Moment in Time - Reflections on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility in 2021 and 2023, organized by the U.S. Department of State and Meridian International Center, in partnership with Colorado Springs World Affairs Council, Global Ties Detroit, WorldBoston, WorldChicago, Cleveland Council on World Affairs, Global Ties Kalamazoo, International Citizen Diplomacy of Los Angeles, Global Minnesota, WorldOrlando, Global Ties Arizona, WorldOregon and Global Ties San Francisco.
U.S. Communities Visited in 2023
San Francisco, CA; Washington, DC; Portland, OR
U.S. Communities Visited Virtually in 2021
Phoenix, AZ; Los Angeles, CA; San Francisco, CA; Colorado Springs, CO; Washington, DC; Orlando, FL; Chicago, IL; Boston, MA; Detroit, MI; Kalamazoo, MI; Minneapolis, MN; Cleveland, OH; Portland, OR