Shabnam "Mausi" Bano

Shabnam "Mausi" Bano is the first transgender Indian or Hijra to be elected to public office. She was an elected member of the Madhya Pradesh State Legislative Assembly from 1998 to 2003 (Hijras were granted voting rights in 1994 in India.). Her father was a superintendent of Police.

Because he feared he could lose his respect by the society he gave her away. Shabnam Mausi was elected from the Sohagpur constituency in Madhya Pradesh state's Shahdol-Anuppur district. Shabnam attended two years of primary schooling.

As a member of the Legislative Assembly, her agenda includes fighting corruption, unemployment, poverty, and hunger in her constituency. Shabnam Mausi also intends to use her position in the Legislative Assembly to speak out against discrimination of hijras as well as to raise awareness on AIDS.