Activist / ஆர்வலர்

Joena Shivani (a.k.a. Sandhiya) is a Thamizhachi who actively works to represent and uplift her community. Drawing from her own struggles as a young transwoman, Sandhiya is now a transgender activist with several organisations that seek to provide shelter, aid, and care for transexual persons. Sandhiya currently runs Agni Jothi, a group that believes educating society is key to the wider acceptance of trans individuals. She was a research consultant on a project by NUS-CARE centering transgender individuals in health care. She was also consultant and performer in Avant Theatre’s Akka: The End (2014), and Akka 3 (2015). These are, to date, Singapore’s only Tamil plays centering the transexual subject and experience. Sandhiya also acted in ‘Thoppul Kodi’, a short film by Yogitha Sachu raising awareness about transwomen.