Bewritings

To many, understandings of gender identity beyond the male-female binary are incredibly modern concepts. However, as reported by the Telegraph, many cultures have traditions and beliefs linked to a “third gender,” some with a recorded history of over 4,000 years. For example, the Hijras of India are “the world’s oldest transgender community.” However, this group faces discrimination and stigma that marginalizes the Hijras, hindering their advancement and empowerment. Kineer Services is an initiative that works to uplift the Hijras in India and other marginalized groups.

Understanding the Hijras

Many Hijras do not consider themselves as transitioning but rather a third gender entirely. Often, but not always, Hijra are biologically male yet present in a feminine manner. Others are intersex, whereas some recent Hijras do consider gender reassignment surgery. Overall, the Hijras of India make up a complex community that does not fit into a gender binary. 

Historically, the Hijras of India honor the goddess Bedhraj Mata, the Hindu goddess of fertility. Some would castrate themselves as an offering to the goddess. The community possessed a very sacred role in society, believed to be able to grant fertility. 

It appears tricky to quantify the amount of Hijras due to the term’s undefined nature. However, UNICEF estimated that in 2021–22, 5 million people identified as Hijra.

Modern understandings of the Hijra are a complex mix of modern prejudices and historical respect. During British colonization, Hijras were deemed criminals. Although the government soon revoked this law after Indian independence, the stigma still creates ripple effects today.  

Poverty, Prostitution & Prejudice

One of the consequences the Hijras of India faced was social rejection. Colonial prejudices led to many throwing the Hijras out of their homes. More often than not, many denied the Hijra schooling and medical services, a particular issue as sexual assault rates are incredibly high among the Hijra. Despite their sacred status, the late 20th century saw more and more Hijras succumb to poverty. Many relied on begging and sex work to get by.

A 2022 study showed that around 94% of Hijras had concerns about their finances. In a separate study, 82% of participants claimed to have earnt no money in two weeks. Their strife was only exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, as medical services and humanitarian aid were hard to obtain for the Hijras. 

Modern Legislation

In 2014, India declared that transgender people, including the Hijra, would be considered a third gender on official documents. This legislation also made way for job openings and schooling opportunities aimed at Hijras to tackle socio-economic inequality. 

In 2019, the government developed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Bill. However, individuals had to provide proof of gender reassignment surgery to change their gender status. Thus, the bill faced backlash. 

The government did not enforce either piece of legislation well, so discrimination against the Hijra continues. These bills had little positive impact on the Hijra’s economic or social status. 

Kineer Services

However, humanitarian aid for the Hijras of India is beginning to develop. A pioneer for the overlooked community is Kineer Services. Founded by Manish Jain and Pooja Jain, the Kineer Services initiative aims to provide sexual minorities in India with job opportunities and health services, among other efforts.

Laxmi Narayan Tripathi, a transgender rights activist, works within the team. Tripathi highlights the injustice toward the Hijra community: “How did this community go from revered to living on the fringes of society? That is the plight of India’s estimated 5 lakh [500,000] Hijras. Respected by the Mughals, but considered criminals by the British colonizers, today many live as sex workers and beggars.”

Kineer Services have a range of ground-breaking projects to support the Hijras of India and the wider community. Currently, they are fundraising to provide food and resources to the community. They have already raised over $19,000 of their $72,000 aim. The project has nearly 1,200 supporters. 

In the long term, Kineer Services has programs for individuals to develop employability skills. Their initiative Trans-formation has already trained and employed over 560 people. The program is completely free to ensure it is as inclusive as possible. 

The journey of the Hijras of India is far from over. From being respected as sacred individuals to a marginalized community, humanitarian aid for the Hijras is just beginning to develop. However, through more thorough legislation and initiatives such as Kineer Services, this complex community is starting to break away from oppressive shackles.