N Jency Becomes Tamil Nadus First Transgender Woman PhD & Assistant Professor

By: WE staff | Tuesday, 24 June 2025

• In Tamil Nadu, N Jency becomes the first transgender woman to receive a PhD
• Appointed as an assistant professor in Loyola College's English department in Chennai
• Represents a significant turning point in the history of transgender representation in higher education

N Jency is the first transgender woman in Tamil Nadu to receive a PhD and be hired as an assistant professor in the English department at Loyola College in Chennai, marking a significant milestone for transgender representation in higher education.

Her incredible journey from the tiny Tiruttani town in the Tiruvallur district to one of Chennai's most esteemed academic institutions is the result of years of tenacity and fortitude. Jency stood out as a symbol of academic excellence despite all odds, excelling throughout her academic career and winning gold medals in both her undergraduate and graduate studies.

Many people have praised her appointment, including Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, who publicly congratulated her. "Congratulations, Dr. Jency," he wrote in his message.

As you act as a beacon, let hundreds more succeed via education. Let obstacles and rejection be overcome by the powerful force known as education. Jency shared her vision for increased transgender inclusion in education and thanked the state for its dedication to social justice during a meeting with the chief minister.

Jency has framed her accomplishment as a group triumph for the transgender community rather than as a personal achievement. She underlined the value of education in transforming lives and dismantling obstacles. "This is a victory that belongs to my trans community, not mine," she remarked. "I endured a lot of hardships to get to this point.

What led me here is education, which is the alteration of human behavior. She made a sincere and pressing plea to society: "Don't treat transgender people differently or drive them away from their homes." Teach them. Consider me as an example. Despite my family's initial inability to accept me, I achieved this position and won gold in both UG and MA. Why can't you accept us, who are a part of nature, when you accept nature?

In the future, Jency has asked Chief Minister to give her a permanent faculty position at a government college in Tamil Nadu. Such an appointment, in her opinion, would serve as a potent example and encourage more transgender people to seek education.

"Even though I don't have a father, I ask the CM to assign me a permanent staff position in a government college because I consider him to be my father. Focusing on education would become a ray of hope for my community," she said. In addition to being a personal triumph, her hiring at Loyola College represents a major advancement for inclusive representation in Tamil Nadu's academic system.