Indian transgender activist
Shreegauri (Gauri) Sawant is a transgender activist from Mumbai, India. She is the director of Sakhi Char Chowghi that helps transgender people and people with HIV/AIDS. She was featured in an ad by Vicks. She was made the goodwill ambassador of Election Commission in Maharashtra.
Early life.
Sawant was born and raised in Pune. Her mother died when she was seven years old and she was raised by her grandmother. Her father is a police officer. She left her house at the age of 14 or 15 as she didn't want to be a disappointment for her dad.
Activism.
Sawant founded the Sakhi Char Chowghi Trust in 2000. The NGO promotes safe sex and provides counselling to transgender people. In 2014, she became the first transgender person to file a petition in the Supreme Court of India for adoption rights of transgender people. She was a petitioner in the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) case ("National Legal Services Authority v. Union of India") in which the Supreme Court recognised transgender as the third gender. Sawant adopted a girl named Gayatri in 2008 after Gayatri's mother died of AIDS.
Personal life and family.
Sawant has an adopted daughter, whom she adopted at the age of 4. Sawant said in an interview that she had adopted her after her biological mother, a sex worker who died from AIDS, left her alone to be sold in the sex-trafficking industry.
In popular culture.
In 2017, Sawant was featured in an advertisement by Vicks as part of the company's "Touch of Care" campaign. It showed the story of Sawant and her adopted daughter.
A TV series named "Taali" on JioCinema featuring Sushmita Sen in the role of Gauri Sawant.
References.
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