The Plight of Hijras: Unrecognized and Undervalued in Society

Neither a man nor a woman, still a human being? The stigma attached to the sub-human, hijras, in our society, receives neither the opportunity to support themselves nor given the identity of a human. The absolutely key effigy that enters our mind when we think of eunuchs (hijras), is a male-bodied feminine-persona. History of a eunuch is epoch old, they disguise as a potent sheathed shabbily in a sari, face fuzzed with talc, cheeks circled with cheap reddener and the tumultuously odd satire of womanhood clapping vociferously.

In today's world, it seems like they all have been accorded the "immense privilege" of being able to go about daily lives simply due to an accident of birth. Thereby, I start with this story of hijras not to portray the misery of hijra life, but for a life which is disregarded intentionally under the auspices of crucial and core human rights.

Identity is recurrently skewed despite the rhetoric statement: "You are who you are.

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" However, still, trans-genders are faced with unfairness and discrimination. In Bangladesh, a trans-individual is not granted to seek healthcare at independent hospitals and face combat abuse if they visit government hospitals. Eunuchs are substantially demeaned; they live as sex workers or dancers. Their incomes predominantly come from extortion. This is the result of an absolute nothing, but solely for the abuse, they face on a customary basis from common citizens. Owing to a lack of laws recognizing, hijras are secluded from property rights, national identification, employment, and education. They have only recently been recognized as the third gender of society.

The hijras are regularly robbed and sexually assaulted on the streets by the local thugs. The disgrace of being a hijra in our society starts within their roots, their family. They are eschewed by families. The reason many hijras seek a life strange to the normal surrounding is to protect their families from further communal stigmatization. The term "hijra" is habitually used as a defamatory manner. They have been the subject of mockery and humiliation. Ascribe to that eunuchs live in their own communities - an isolated world of their own.

Hijras, who occupy the life in two genders (or, no gender at all) are exploited and maltreated in every step of their life. The ignorance, hatred and disgust they receive from common people like us, placed them in the lowest socioeconomic strata of the general population. Ordinary people tend to overlook the verity that eunuch was born that way from their mother's womb. They tend to perceive them mostly with intrigue, similar to a way you will look at a flamingo standing in midst of a bazaar. As a consequence, Hijras live very accustomed but reticent lives, ostracized by everyone, welcomed only by their own kind.

The recognition of Hijra as a third gender needs to be sculpted into an action in order to further promote social acknowledgement and civil rights. The obligation of the state is to assure the privilege of every citizen. The government of Bangladesh can establish a Hijra welfare board. Transgender students should be legal. Gender slots in public/private forms or papers, such as banks, hospitals should include a separate box for the binary sex. House buildings with accessible washrooms should be provided effectively to raise their living standard. Law should permit the use of restrooms as a part of transitioning. Various broadcast programs can play a crucial role in influencing the perception of society. They can advocate activities that are needed for better social compliance.

The future is uncertain. There might be a time- not today, but maybe 5 years or even 10 years down the line- where we all can live equally, without any significance of race, color, religion or gender. In order to achieve rights for Transgender, it requires activism at local, social and national level. Let's all begin it from our home. The society that we live in places value on external appearances; on how we communicate masculinity or femininity. Therefore, it is highly important that we as normal people accept them without surgery, hormones to build a peaceful equal world. It is really not necessary to understand someone's identity to respect it. If every individual supports transgender people in their life personally, the society will change thusly.

Precisely this is a real world problem, a global problem; just anyone else trans-genders deserves to feel safe, accepted and comfortable to work. When this idea first popped into my head, I was in an utter fix what to think or perceive about this issues. I had this pre-notion that the third gender group of people are all different and can never be equal, according to our social status. However, as I have been questioning myself rigorously and discussed with other people and their view points, I now believe, no idea, belief or biasness remains forever. If it must change so be it. After all, we all are human beings, right? The world is our family, and it is our responsibility to help against the prejudice that plagues some of our brethren. Integrating hijras into all spheres of life will help mitigate their status. We should realize that they are just the same as you and me, individuals trying to find their place and purpose in the universe. "We must know that we are all equal in the fact that we are all different" as said by C. Joy Bell C. The fight of hijras for their dignity is one of the hardest evil to fight but the fight starts today. It commences with me and commences with you. It commences with all of us. It is time that people realize that every individual in this country has equal rights and privileges and follow the policy of "live and let live."