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WORLD ANTHROPOLOGICAL UNION

CONGRESS 2024​

Paper

Narratives of Hijra People in the Mainstreaming Process of the Formal Institutions: Case Studies from Bangladesh

presenters

    Sadeka Halim

    Nationality: Bangladesh

    Residence: Bangladesh

    Jagannath University, Dhaka, Bangladesh

    Presence:Face to Face/ On Site

Keywords:

Hijra, Non-Binary, Gender Fluidity, Government Initiatives, Policy

Abstract:

Hijra is the distinct gender identity category, who are contested or challenged from the different existing societal structure in Bangladesh. The main aim of this paper is to delve into the multifarious complex forms of Hijra peoples contested, negotiated and challenged narratives in the inclusion process of Bangladesh. This paper has employed the qualitative and quantitative approaches for investigating the contested discursive narratives of the Hijra people in terms of the policy inclusion in the institutional and non-institutional level, access to education, health, employment, housing, and so on in the context of Bangladesh. The study findings has found that there are significant initiatives taken by the existing government like Hijra distinct identity recognition bill by the declaration of official gazette in 2013, which was the milestone achievement for Hijra people; mainstreaming their identity in the formal education sectors like the tertiary education besides the male and female binary category; inclusion their separate identity into the NID (National Identity) card beyond the gender normative binary, political inclusion into the government political participation in the local and national government level, proper accessed to the government health sectors in the government hospitals beyond the male and female category. However, the study also explored the different contested narratives regarding their identity issues or identity crisis from the existing normative societies; and the social prejudices, cultural constraints, and religious norms, which are dominantly prevailed in the existing structure of the society, where the society is regulated by the normative binary and gender dichotomy. The current policy should be modified, and Hijra or the third gender policy should be constructed based on the international instruments like Yogyakarta principle, gender fluidity, gender as pervasive category, and of course, through the idea of gender performativity lens.