Hijra (South Asia)
Third gender of South Asian cultures / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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In the Indian subcontinent, hijra[n 2] are eunuchs, intersex people, or transgender people who live in communities that follow a kinship system known as guru-chela system.[2][3][4][5] Also known as aravani, aruvani, and jogappa,[6] the hijra community in India prefer to call themselves "kinnar", referring to the mythological beings that excel at song and dance.[citation needed] In Pakistan, they are known as khawaja sira, the equivalent of transgender in the Urdu language.[7]
![]() A group of Hijra in Bangladesh | |||||||||||
Pronunciation | [ˈɦɪdʒɽa] | ||||||||||
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Meaning | Umbrella term for people who are trans women, intersex, and/or eunuchs | ||||||||||
Classification | Gender identity | ||||||||||
Other terms | |||||||||||
Synonyms | Aravani, Jagappa, Kinnar, Khawaja Sira, Khadra, Moorat | ||||||||||
Associated terms | Bakla, Khanith, Kothi, Kathoey, Third gender, Trans woman, Akava'ine, Muxe | ||||||||||
Demographics | |||||||||||
Culture | South Asian | ||||||||||
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Legal information | |||||||||||
Recognition | Yes (India, Bangladesh & Pakistan) | ||||||||||
Protection | Limited |
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Hijras are officially recognised as a third gender throughout countries in the Indian subcontinent,[8][9][10] being considered neither completely male nor female. Hijras identity evolved during the Delhi Sultanate (1226-1526) and Mughal Empire (1526-1707).[11][12]
Many hijras today live in well-defined and organised all-hijra communities, led by a guru.[4] These communities have consisted over generations of those who are in abject poverty or who have been rejected by or fled their family of origin.[13] Many work as sex workers.[14]
The word hijra is a Hindustani word.[15] It has traditionally been translated into English as "eunuch" or "hermaphrodite", where "the irregularity of the male genitalia is central to the definition".[16] However, in general hijras have been born male, with only a few having been born with intersex variations.[17] Some hijras undergo an initiation rite into the hijra community called nirvaan, which involves the removal of the penis, scrotum and testicles.[14]
Since the late 20th century, some hijra activists and non-government organizations have lobbied for official recognition of the hijra as a kind of "third sex" or "third gender", as neither man nor woman.[18] Hijras have successfully gained this recognition in Bangladesh and are eligible for priority in education and certain kinds of low paid jobs.[19][20] In India, the Supreme Court in April 2014 recognised hijras, transgender people, eunuchs, and intersex people as a "third gender" in law.[2][21][22] Nepal, Pakistan, India and Bangladesh have all legally accepted the existence of a third gender, with India, Pakistan and Nepal including an option for them on passports and certain official documents.[23]