A field research initiative examining the daily lives and livelihoods of Cox's Bazar's third-gender community, laying the groundwork for inclusive, skills-based support that helps them build safer, more sustainable futures.
In February 2024, SSD Youth Foundation carried out a dedicated research and field supervision initiative focused on the lives and occupations of the third-gender community in Cox's Bazar. Working directly with 70 third-gender individuals and local community leaders, our team documented the day-to-day realities, livelihood challenges, and social hardships this community continues to face.
Through close field supervision, we found that many participants are willing — and eager — to leave their current occupations for more stable, dignified, and sustainable work, provided they have access to the right skills and opportunities. This finding points to a clear and urgent need: targeted skill-development programs and support systems designed specifically around the circumstances of the third-gender community.
This research is a practical expression of SSD Youth Foundation's broader commitment to inclusion. It gives a historically marginalized community a direct voice in shaping the support they receive, and it informs how we design future livelihood, training, and empowerment programs so they genuinely meet people where they are.
Going forward, the findings from this initiative will guide SSD Youth Foundation's efforts to build pathways toward social and economic advancement for third-gender individuals in Cox's Bazar — reinforcing our belief that no community should be left out of the region's development.
Through close field supervision, we found that many participants are willing — and eager — to leave their current occupations for more stable, dignified, and sustainable work, provided they have access to the right skills and opportunities. This finding points to a clear and urgent need: targeted skill-development programs and support systems designed specifically around the circumstances of the third-gender community.
This research is a practical expression of SSD Youth Foundation's broader commitment to inclusion. It gives a historically marginalized community a direct voice in shaping the support they receive, and it informs how we design future livelihood, training, and empowerment programs so they genuinely meet people where they are.
Going forward, the findings from this initiative will guide SSD Youth Foundation's efforts to build pathways toward social and economic advancement for third-gender individuals in Cox's Bazar — reinforcing our belief that no community should be left out of the region's development.