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Head of Islamic school for transwomen wins rights award
Shinta Ratri, 57, said she dedicated the accolade to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community that had supported her.
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Shinta Ratri. (JP/Bambang Muryanto)
T
he leader of the al-Fatah pesantren (Islamic boarding school) for transwomen, 57-year-old Shinta Ratri, has received the Front Line Defenders Award in honor of her work as a human rights activist.
Front Line Defenders, also known as the International Foundation for the Protection of the Human Rights Defenders, is an Irish-based human rights organization founded in Dublin that aims to protect rights defenders at risk.
Shinta was all smiles when friends and neighbors came to congratulate her at the pesantren in Kotagede, Yogyakarta, on Friday. Besides providing food, the transwomen also performed traditional dances like jaipong, gambyong and oglek.
Shinta said she was full of gratitude and that she “dedicated [the accolade] to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender [LGBT] community” that had supported her. Shinta will depart for Dublin on Oct. 2 to officially accept the award.
The al-Fatah Islamic boarding school was established in 2008 by Shinta and a fellow transwoman, Mariani. After Mariani’s passing in 2014, Shinta was appointed the head of the boarding school.
Al-Fatah is both a shelter and place to learn Islam for transwomen who are separated from their families. In addition to religious awareness, the school also offers counselling, reproductive health education and provides cooking, batik-making, singing and dance classes to empower the transwomen.
Shinta said it was natural for the oppressed to fight back. “The right to pray and learn about religion is for every human,” she said.
