16 - 19th September 2026: Training of Trainers Organised by Solidairty Foundation at Yadgir.

Four-Day Training of Trainers Programme on Legal Awareness and Rights of Sexual Minorities

1. Introduction

A four-day Training of Trainers (ToT) programme was conducted at Shahpur, Yadgir, for a group of Community-Based Organisation (CBO) members representing Belgaum, Yadgir, Mysore, and Kalaburagi. The programme was organised to strengthen the legal knowledge, understanding, and training capacities of CBO members working with transgender persons, sexual minorities, women, and other vulnerable communities.

The training covered important legal provisions, landmark judgments, criminal procedures, constitutional rights, government schemes, and protection laws. A key focus of the programme was to equip CBO members with the knowledge and skills required to conduct legal awareness sessions within their respective communities.

Adv. Archana served as the principal resource person and facilitated the sessions throughout all four days. Adv. Shashidhara joined as a resource person for the first and second days, particularly contributing to sessions on transgender rights, landmark judgments, and criminal procedures.

The programme followed a participatory methodology, incorporating presentations, group discussions, case studies, role plays, individual exercises, module development, and practical community-level application.

2. Objectives of the Programme

The major objectives of the four-day ToT programme were:

• To strengthen the legal knowledge of CBO members on issues affecting transgender persons and sexual minorities.

• To familiarise participants with the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 and subsequent legal developments.

• To understand important judgments concerning the rights of transgender persons and sexual minorities.

• To build participants’ knowledge of criminal procedures, FIRs, bail, anticipatory bail, and complaint procedures.

• To help participants understand their rights when approaching the police and other authorities.

• To familiarise participants with constitutional provisions, government schemes, and protection laws.

• To develop the capacity of CBO members to conduct legal awareness sessions within their communities.

• To provide practical experience in applying training methodologies and legal knowledge to real-life situations.

  
  

3. Participants

The programme brought together CBO members from:

• Belgaum

• Yadgir

• Mysore

• Kalaburagi

The participants came with varied experiences of working directly with communities. Their field experiences and real-life cases became an important part of the training, allowing the legal concepts discussed during the sessions to be connected with actual situations faced by community members.

4. Day One – History, Rights and Legal Developments Concerning Transgender Persons

The first day began with an overview of the history of the transgender movement and the evolution of legal recognition and rights of transgender persons.

Adv. Shashidhara and Adv. Archana facilitated the sessions on the first day, providing participants with an understanding of the historical, legal, and constitutional developments relating to transgender persons.

Key topics covered

The sessions included:

• History of the transgender movement.

• Overview of transgender rights and legal developments.

• Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019.

• Amendment Act, 2026.

• NALSA judgment.

• NAZ judgment.

• Rights and protections available to transgender persons and sexual minorities.

The resource persons discussed the significance of the NALSA and NAZ judgments and their relevance to the recognition and protection of the rights of transgender persons and sexual minorities.

Group Discussions and Case Sharing

The sessions were made interactive through group discussions and sharing of real-life cases by participants. CBO members discussed situations and legal challenges encountered while working with their communities.

These case discussions helped participants understand how legal provisions could be applied in practical situations. The exchange of experiences also enabled participants from different districts to identify common concerns and explore possible responses.

The first day therefore provided a strong foundation for understanding the legal framework and its connection to the lived experiences of transgender persons and sexual minorities.

5. Day Two – Criminal Procedures and Access to Justice

The second day focused on criminal procedures and practical mechanisms for accessing justice.

Adv. Shashidhara and Adv. Archana facilitated the sessions, with emphasis on developing participants' understanding of basic criminal procedures and the steps to be followed when community members approach the police or other authorities.

Key topics covered

The sessions covered:

• Criminal procedures.

• Filing of First Information Reports (FIRs).

• Bail.

• Anticipatory bail.

• How to write a complaint.

• Cognizable and non-cognizable offences.

• Police procedures.

• Options available when an FIR or complaint is not accepted by the police.

• Authorities and mechanisms that can be approached when a complaint is not taken.

The resource persons explained the procedures using practical examples so that participants could subsequently communicate the information in a simple and accessible manner to community members.

Role Plays and Case Discussions

Role plays were conducted to help participants understand how to approach the police, present the facts of a case, make a complaint, and respond to challenges that may arise during the process.

Participants also shared real cases from their communities. These discussions provided an opportunity to examine practical barriers faced by vulnerable communities while accessing police and legal services.

The combination of legal inputs, role plays, and case-based discussions helped participants gain confidence in understanding and explaining basic criminal procedures.

6. Day Three – Rights of Sexual Minorities, Constitutional Provisions and Training Methodology

On the third day, Adv. Archana continued as the resource person and facilitated the sessions.

The day began with a recap of the key concepts covered during the first two days. Participants revisited important judgments, legal provisions, and criminal procedures to reinforce their understanding.

Recap and Revision

The recap focused on:

• Key topics discussed on Day One.

• NALSA and NAZ judgments.

• Transgender rights and legal provisions.

• Criminal procedures.

• FIR and complaint procedures.

• Bail and anticipatory bail.

• Practical challenges in accessing justice.

The recap allowed participants to clarify their doubts and strengthen their understanding of the concepts covered earlier.

Rights of Sexual Minorities

The session then focused on the rights of sexual minorities and relevant constitutional provisions. Participants discussed the importance of constitutional guarantees and legal protections in ensuring equality, dignity, and access to rights.

Government schemes and relevant support mechanisms were also discussed. Participants were encouraged to understand how community members could be connected with available schemes and services.

Designing Training Modules

A major focus of Day Three was developing the participants' capacity to design and deliver legal awareness modules.

The discussion covered:

• Identifying the needs of the target community.

• Selecting relevant legal topics.

• Presenting legal information in simple language.

• Using real-life examples and cases.

• Incorporating participatory activities.

• Encouraging questions and discussions.

• Developing practical and accessible training materials.

Group and Individual Exercises

Participants took part in group discussions and individual exercises designed to strengthen their facilitation and training skills. They worked on ways of simplifying legal concepts and presenting them effectively to community members.

Application of Training Methodology

Later in the day, participants were given an opportunity to apply the training methodology they had learned. They conducted a community-level awareness activity, allowing them to practise facilitation, communication, and participatory techniques.

This exercise helped participants build confidence and identify areas requiring further improvement before conducting sessions independently within their own communities.

7. Day Four – Community-Level Legal Awareness Programme

The fourth day was facilitated by Adv. Archana and focused on the practical application of the learning from the previous three days.

A legal awareness session was conducted for a community of sexual minorities and female sex workers associated with Hosa Kanasu CBO.

Topics Covered

The community-level session covered:

• Legal awareness relating to the Transgender Persons Act.

• Criminal procedures.

• FIR and complaint procedures.

• Women's protection laws.

• Child protection laws.

• Rights and available legal protections.

• Practical responses to legal challenges.

• Discussion of live cases and situations faced by community members.

The use of live cases made the session practical and relevant to the participants. Community members were able to discuss their concerns and relate them to the legal provisions explained during the session.

The session also provided the CBO trainees with an opportunity to demonstrate their ability to communicate legal information in an accessible and community-friendly manner.

8. Training Methodology

Throughout the four-day programme, Adv. Archana used a participatory and practice-oriented methodology. The first two days also included the inputs and facilitation of Adv. Shashidhara.

The methodology included:

• Interactive presentations.

• Group discussions.

• Case studies.

• Sharing of real-life experiences.

• Role plays.

• Individual exercises.

• Question-and-answer sessions.

• Recap and reflection exercises.

• Training module development.

• Practical facilitation exercises.

• Community-level application of learning.

The combination of these methods ensured that participants gained not only theoretical legal knowledge but also practical skills to communicate this information effectively within their communities.

9. Key Learnings

The training strengthened participants' understanding of the rights and legal protections available to transgender persons and sexual minorities. Participants gained greater familiarity with important judgments, relevant legislation, criminal procedures, and mechanisms for seeking legal remedies.

The programme also highlighted the importance of making legal information accessible and easy to understand. Real-life cases, role plays, and group discussions helped participants connect legal provisions with situations they encounter in their communities.

The ToT approach further enabled participants to develop their capacity as community-level trainers who can take the learning forward through awareness programmes within their respective CBOs.

10. Way Forward

As part of the way forward, participants will be encouraged to use the knowledge and training methodologies gained during the programme to conduct legal awareness sessions within their respective communities.

The trained CBO members can support their communities by:

• Conducting regular legal awareness sessions.

• Sharing information on rights and legal remedies.

• Supporting community members in understanding basic legal procedures.

• Facilitating access to appropriate authorities and support mechanisms.

• Using locally relevant cases and examples during awareness programmes.

• Developing simple and accessible legal awareness materials.

• Identifying recurring legal concerns within their communities.

• Strengthening linkages between communities, CBOs, legal professionals, and relevant support systems.

  
  

11. Conclusion

The four-day Training of Trainers programme at Shahpur, Yadgir, provided CBO members from Belgaum, Yadgir, Mysore, and Kalaburagi with an opportunity to strengthen their legal knowledge and develop practical training skills.

Adv. Shashidhara contributed as a resource person during the first and second days, covering key areas relating to transgender rights, landmark judgments, and criminal procedures. Adv. Archana served as the resource person throughout all four days, facilitating the sessions on legal rights, constitutional provisions, training methodology, protection laws, and the final community-level legal awareness programme.

The combination of legal inputs, case discussions, role plays, group activities, individual exercises, and practical community engagement made the programme participatory and practice-oriented. The final community session with sexual minorities and female sex workers from Hosa Kanasu CBO provided an opportunity for the trainees to apply their learning in a real community setting.

Overall, the programme strengthened the capacity of CBO members to understand legal provisions, respond to basic legal concerns, and conduct continued legal awareness and rights-based activities within their respective communities.