Urban Challenges Faced by the Hijra Community

This research focuses on the challenges faced by the hijra community in urban India, touching upon issues such as economic marginalization, discrimination, and the point of intersection between religion and caste, all within the LGBTQ+ context. Hijras are individuals who are born biologically male, and identify as trans women, and live in small, secretive communities across South Asia, forming a very distinctive cultural group. This study draws on in-depth interviews with two members of the hijra community in Mumbai, India, offering a first-hand account of their struggles. The findings of this research revealed that many members of the hijra community confine themselves to low-income hustles such as begging, or sex work, due to rampant discrimination that exists in the heteronormative post-colonial South-Asian societies. This also contributes to their lack of access to healthcare, safe housing, protection from hate crimes, and a declining mental health on a community-wide level. Despite legal progress, many challenges related to identity recognition and humanizing the community persist. This introductory article thus advocates for various empowerment initiatives to facilitate a more inclusive and equitable environment for hijra individuals in urban India.