De-Indianizing Hijra

Abstract

This essay advances a regional critique of the Indian-centric scholarship on hijra, a publicly institutionalized subculture of people typically assigned a male gender at birth who often sacrifice their genitals in return for spiritual power. The unexamined Indian hegemony in hijra studies works to reify not only hijra but also India. Drawing on ethnographic research in Bangladesh, this essay offers preliminary reflections on the need to adopt a regional approach in place of a national frame in studies of gender and sexuality, arguing that hijra subjectivities are constituted at the interstice of intra-, inter-, and transregional comings and goings. The regional approach proposed here also allows us to take into account the intraregional and cross-scalar inequalities within the geopolitically constructed South Asia.

Managing diversity through transgender inclusion in developing countries: A collaborative corporate social responsibility initiative from Bangladesh

“…The word "Hijra" is translated in English from Hindi and Urdu "as eunuch, transvestite, or hermaphrodite" (Aziz & Azhar, 2019, p. 3) and pertains to a community system or subculture of male-to-female transgenders in South Asia, often of working class backgrounds (Abdullah et al, 2012;Goel, 2016;Hossain, 2018;Sultana & Kalyani, 2012). The Hijra community is of high importance, because most transgenders are part of it and/or are associated with it at some point of their life.…”

“…In Bangladesh, the life of many transgenders is inextricably linked with their "Hijra" community of similar peers, who they join during late childhood to find solace from social marginalization and poverty (Hossain, 2012(Hossain, , 2018Knight, 2016). Bangladeshi transgenders often voice their desire to work (Khan et al, 2009) but struggle to maintain permanent employment in private and public organizations due to their "inappropriate" attitudes (Abdullah et al, 2012;Jebin, 2019).…”

“…This is not simply because they are "the most excluded of the excluded" (Khan et al, 2009, p. 448) but also because they were acknowledged under the law in 2013 by the government as third gender individuals (Anam, 2015;Hossain, 2017;Jebin & Farhana, 2015). Although this acknowledgment could open up new employment opportunities and prompt new protective measures, to date, Bangladeshi transgenders continue to be kept on the fringes of society (Hossain, 2018;Stenqvist, 2015) and remain largely understudied in settings of work and organizations.…”

Elsewheres in Queer Hindutva: A Hijra Case Study

“…Such statements build on older tensions within West Bengal hijra gharanas . The transnational migration of hijras between West Bengal and Bangladesh is a common phenomenon (Hossain, 2018, p. 324). During the 2010s, I noticed rising anti-Bangladeshi sentiments among West Bengali Hindu-origin hijras ; some claimed that Bangladeshis were increasingly capturing senior positions within the gharanas and driving out hijras from West Bengal.…”

HIV-Related Knowledge and Health Care Seeking Barriers among Transgender Individuals in Dhaka City: A Cross-sectional Study

“…Despite several years of research on HIV/AIDS and the populations, we know very little about transgender people and HIV. Globally, the lifetime risk of HIV infection is 34.2 times higher among transgender women [3] and is estimated to be 19 times more likely to be infected with HIV compared to the general population [7]In Bangladesh, many transgenders' lives are inextricably linked with their "Hijra" community of similar peers, whom they join during late childhood to find solace from social marginalization and poverty [8] Bangladeshi transgenders often voice their desire to work [9] but struggle to maintain permanent employment in private and public organizations due to their "inappropriate" attitudes. There are established 53 service centers [i.e.,Drop-in Centers (DICs), Sub-Drop in Centers (sub-DICs), and Outlets] across Bangladesh.…”