Nisha Ayub's tough fight for transgender rights is ongoing

The international Women of Courage award is a validation for all trans women. It is a recognition of our identity as women. It is also to acknowledge that we have trans people in Malaysia and there are issues that need to be recognised and addresse - Nisha Ayub (14/04/2016/S.S.KANESAN/The Star)

Barely a week after she received the International Women of Courage Award at the White House in Washington DC, Nisha Ayub found herself huddled over her laptop in her hotel room in San Diego in the United States, trying to put out a fire back home in Malaysia.

This time it was a raid by the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Department (Jawi) on a fund-raising event for the transgender community at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur. Though thousands of miles away, Nisha was sending emails out to lawyers to try and rally support for her sisters back home.