Why Is Sunniya Abbasi Your Everyday Hero?
Sunniya Abbasi is Your Everyday Hero because she turned rejection into resilience. As a transgender esthetician in Pakistan, she faced prejudice, isolation, and doubt from every direction, yet chose to respond by creating Inclusive — a beauty clinic that welcomes everyone with dignity and care. Her journey as a transgender esthetician Pakistan story is not only about breaking barriers but about rebuilding hope for others who were told they did not belong.
She belongs on Your Everyday Heroes because her story defines what the platform stands for… Real people creating real change. Sunniya reminds us that heroism isn’t about fame or recognition; it’s about using your pain as purpose and leaving a legacy of acceptance, compassion, and inclusion.
If you haven’t already, watch the full documentary here and continue below for more.
How Sunniya Abbasi Became Pakistan’s First Certified Transgender Esthetician
Breaking Barriers with Beauty
In a country where acceptance can feel like a privilege, Sunniya Abbasi carved her name into history. She became Pakistan’s first certified transgender esthetician, a title earned not through privilege but through persistence. Her story is one of courage, compassion, and a determination that refused to fade. Sunniya’s journey proves that the power to redefine beauty begins from within.
Sunniya transformed rejection into resilience and built a beauty clinic where everyone belongs.
A Childhood of Expectations
When Sunniya was born, her family celebrated the arrival of a son, the firstborn child they believed would carry the family name with pride. Yet from an early age, Sunniya felt disconnected from that identity. In classrooms divided by gender, she often felt trapped, studying how boys walked and spoke so she could blend in. Every movement, every word, became an act of survival.
“I thought I was in the wrong box,” she later said.
By high school, that silent struggle had become exhausting. Teachers began to notice her pain, offering small moments of understanding. But even with that kindness, the question that haunted her remained. Who am I, really?
The Moment That Changed Everything
When she entered university, Sunniya hoped for freedom. Instead, she encountered one of the most humiliating moments of her life. During an exam, a professor confronted her in front of the class, questioning her gender and identity. He pulled at her tie, leaving both a physical scar and a deeper emotional one.
That day, she left the campus in tears and locked herself in her room. For six months, she did not study, work, or speak much to anyone. “It wasn’t just pain,” she recalled. “It took all of my confidence.”
That became the beginning of her transformation.
“It wasn’t just pain. It took all of my confidence.” ~ Sunniya Abbasi
The Knock That Opened a Door
One day, her father came to her room and asked a simple question. “What do you want to do?” She said she did not know. He looked at her and replied, “You cannot stop here.”
Those words reignited her determination. Sunniya decided she would create a life built on authenticity and strength. She returned to school, earned her degree, and began searching for a way to combine creativity with purpose.
That search led her to fashion and theater, two worlds where expression was not just allowed but celebrated.
Finding Her Voice on Stage
In her final year of fashion design, Sunniya heard about auditions for a community theater project called Ti Sre Dhun, or The Third Tune. The play was written and performed by transgender artists. Sunniya went to the audition expecting to design costumes. Instead, she was asked to perform.
When she took the stage, something inside her came alive. Her performance earned her a place in the cast, and soon she was performing across Pakistan and around the world. The production reached international audiences at universities such as Yale and Texas, as well as cultural centers in Oslo and Lahore.
For the first time, Sunniya felt seen. On stage, she introduced herself to the world as a transgender woman.
Her family was in the audience. Her mother’s response was painful. “This is not you,” she said. “This is just a character.” What should have been a triumphant moment became one filled with heartbreak. Still, Sunniya chose to keep going.
Learning to Serve Her Community
The success of Ti Sre Dhun brought new opportunities. Sunniya joined NAS Pakistan, the country’s first community-based organization focused on transgender rights. There she learned management, leadership, and how to advocate for others.
“NAS gave me wings,” she said. “They helped me find myself.”
Her role allowed her to serve at the grassroots level, working directly with marginalized people. For the first time, she could see how compassion and structure could bring change. She also discovered her fascination with skincare and makeup, realizing that self-care could be both healing and empowering.
When the project funding ended in 2018, Sunniya was once again left without work. Many organizations closed, leaving community members without income. She began applying for jobs, but doors kept closing. Employers saw her education and experience yet refused to hire her once they learned about her gender identity.
When Doors Closed, She Built Her Own
With few options left, Sunniya turned to performing at weddings as a dancer, the only profession many transgender women in Pakistan are allowed to pursue. “Being a dancing girl is not easy,” she said. “But I refused to become something I wasn’t.”
Then the pandemic arrived. Events stopped, and income vanished overnight. But that silence gave her time to think.
One day, a friend visiting from another city asked Sunniya to recommend a clinic for laser hair removal. She booked an appointment for her friend, but when they arrived, the doctor told them, “This clinic is for normal people.”
Those words stayed with her. That one sentence became her mission.
The Birth of Inclusive
Sunniya decided to create the kind of clinic that should have existed all along — a place where everyone, regardless of gender, could receive safe, professional, and respectful care.
She began saving money and writing proposals. She gathered a small team and enrolled in formal esthetician training. Her dedication paid off. She earned her professional certification, becoming Pakistan’s first transgender woman esthetician.
On January sixth, 2023, she opened her clinic, which she named Inclusive. The name reflected her purpose. Every person, regardless of background or identity, is welcome. Her clinic offers certified skincare treatments, laser procedures, and professional beauty services — but more importantly, it offers dignity.
“This place is not just for one community, It is for everyone.”
🖇️ Click Here to Read the Full Feature Story on Your Everyday Heroes and learn how Sunniya’s vision became a reality through determination and compassion.
Redefining Heroism
Sunniya often says she does not see herself as a hero. “Maybe I’m a hero for society,” she says, “but when it comes to my family, they made me zero.” Those words reveal her strength. Heroism is not about fame or celebration. It is about doing what is right even when love and acceptance are uncertain.
Through Inclusive, Sunniya has created what she once needed, a safe and welcoming space. Her clinic stands as both a business and a symbol of change. Each client she helps represents one more person who will never have to hear that they do not belong.
A Global Message of Courage
Sunniya’s message reaches far beyond Pakistan. It is a call for empathy and inclusion that anyone, anywhere, can relate to. She has shown that professional excellence can coexist with activism, and that visibility can save lives. Her certification was not just a career achievement. It was a declaration that transgender women in Pakistan can and will rise with skill and integrity.
Watch the Feature Video to hear Sunniya’s story in her own words.
Why Her Story Matters
Sunniya Abbasi belongs on Your Everyday Heroes because she embodies what the platform celebrates — ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Her story reminds us that true heroism often begins quietly, with one person deciding to build what they once needed.
Through Inclusive, she has created a model for compassionate entrepreneurship. Her courage challenges stigma, her craft heals confidence, and her name now stands for hope.
See how one woman turned rejection into resilience and built a business that redefines beauty for everyone.
Watch Her Full Story Here or Download our app on Roku.
