Health and Educational Inequalities among the Third Gender Community in Lahore, Pakistan
Objective: The third gender community, commonly referred to as the ‘hijra’ community and including transgender, intersex, and eunuch individuals, faces widespread societal discrimination, leading to marginalization and reduced opportunities for social and economic participation. This study aims to...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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University of Lahore
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Journal of University College of Medicine and Dentistry |
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| Online Access: | https://journals.uol.edu.pk/jucmd/article/view/3533 |
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| author | Ayesha Humayun Muhammad Hassan Hira Ashfaq Zulqarnain Haider Nauman Naeem Mubashar Munir |
| author_facet | Ayesha Humayun Muhammad Hassan Hira Ashfaq Zulqarnain Haider Nauman Naeem Mubashar Munir |
| author_sort | Ayesha Humayun |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Objective: The third gender community, commonly referred to as the ‘hijra’ community and including transgender, intersex, and eunuch individuals, faces widespread societal discrimination, leading to marginalization and reduced opportunities for social and economic participation. This study aims to explore the educational and healthcare challenges faced by this community, as perceived by its members, to gain deeper insight into the complexities of their lived experiences.
Methodology: This qualitative study conducted in-depth interviews with ten hijra individuals from three areas in Lahore, Pakistan. Data saturation was reached after eight interviews. Verbal consent was obtained with a transgender "Guru" as a witness. Transcriptions were coded by two researchers. Seven themes were identified: early childhood educational experiences, peer attitudes, educational costs, family attitudes, teacher behavior, discriminatory healthcare, and the attitudes of doctors and paramedical staff. Thematic analysis was conducted manually.
Results: The study revealed that the hijra community faces minimal discrimination during early childhood education, but experiences significant bullying, harassment, and social exclusion in later school years, particularly from male peers and some teachers. Financial constraints often hinder their educational pursuits, with some parents being supportive while others are hostile. Healthcare discrimination is prevalent, with many reporting neglect and derogatory treatment from both public healthcare providers and paramedical staff, though private healthcare services offer better experiences for those who can afford them. These barriers underscore the systemic challenges faced by the hijra population in accessing education and healthcare.
Conclusion: The third gender community faces significant barriers in accessing education and healthcare, depriving them of basic human rights. Urgent policy reforms promoting equity, inclusivity, and community sensitization are needed to end their social neglect.
Keywords: Third gender, Hijra, Health, Discrimination, intersex, Eunuch
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| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-5c9fc50fb2ea40b7a8f75cd24fd0f3c7 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2790-3443 2790-3451 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | University of Lahore |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of University College of Medicine and Dentistry |
| spelling | doaj-art-5c9fc50fb2ea40b7a8f75cd24fd0f3c72025-02-09T22:23:39ZengUniversity of LahoreJournal of University College of Medicine and Dentistry2790-34432790-34512025-02-014S10.51846/jucmd.v4iS.3533Health and Educational Inequalities among the Third Gender Community in Lahore, PakistanAyesha Humayun0Muhammad Hassan1Hira Ashfaq2Zulqarnain Haider3Nauman Naeem4Mubashar Munir5Department of Public Health & Community Medicine, Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan Medical College, Shaikh Zayed Postgraduate Medical Institute, Lahore, Pakistan Department of Public Health & Community Medicine, Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan Medical College, Shaikh Zayed Postgraduate Medical Institute, Lahore, Pakistan Department of Public Health & Community Medicine, Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan Medical College, Shaikh Zayed Postgraduate Medical Institute, Lahore, Pakistan Department of Public Health & Community Medicine, Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan Medical College, Shaikh Zayed Postgraduate Medical Institute, Lahore, Pakistan Department of Public Health & Community Medicine, Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan Medical College, Shaikh Zayed Postgraduate Medical Institute, Lahore, Pakistan Department of Public Health & Community Medicine, Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan Medical College, Shaikh Zayed Postgraduate Medical Institute, Lahore, Pakistan Objective: The third gender community, commonly referred to as the ‘hijra’ community and including transgender, intersex, and eunuch individuals, faces widespread societal discrimination, leading to marginalization and reduced opportunities for social and economic participation. This study aims to explore the educational and healthcare challenges faced by this community, as perceived by its members, to gain deeper insight into the complexities of their lived experiences. Methodology: This qualitative study conducted in-depth interviews with ten hijra individuals from three areas in Lahore, Pakistan. Data saturation was reached after eight interviews. Verbal consent was obtained with a transgender "Guru" as a witness. Transcriptions were coded by two researchers. Seven themes were identified: early childhood educational experiences, peer attitudes, educational costs, family attitudes, teacher behavior, discriminatory healthcare, and the attitudes of doctors and paramedical staff. Thematic analysis was conducted manually. Results: The study revealed that the hijra community faces minimal discrimination during early childhood education, but experiences significant bullying, harassment, and social exclusion in later school years, particularly from male peers and some teachers. Financial constraints often hinder their educational pursuits, with some parents being supportive while others are hostile. Healthcare discrimination is prevalent, with many reporting neglect and derogatory treatment from both public healthcare providers and paramedical staff, though private healthcare services offer better experiences for those who can afford them. These barriers underscore the systemic challenges faced by the hijra population in accessing education and healthcare. Conclusion: The third gender community faces significant barriers in accessing education and healthcare, depriving them of basic human rights. Urgent policy reforms promoting equity, inclusivity, and community sensitization are needed to end their social neglect. Keywords: Third gender, Hijra, Health, Discrimination, intersex, Eunuch https://journals.uol.edu.pk/jucmd/article/view/3533transgenderbarrierseducationhealthdiscrimination |
| spellingShingle | Ayesha Humayun Muhammad Hassan Hira Ashfaq Zulqarnain Haider Nauman Naeem Mubashar Munir Health and Educational Inequalities among the Third Gender Community in Lahore, Pakistan Journal of University College of Medicine and Dentistry transgender barriers education health discrimination |
| title | Health and Educational Inequalities among the Third Gender Community in Lahore, Pakistan |
| title_full | Health and Educational Inequalities among the Third Gender Community in Lahore, Pakistan |
| title_fullStr | Health and Educational Inequalities among the Third Gender Community in Lahore, Pakistan |
| title_full_unstemmed | Health and Educational Inequalities among the Third Gender Community in Lahore, Pakistan |
| title_short | Health and Educational Inequalities among the Third Gender Community in Lahore, Pakistan |
| title_sort | health and educational inequalities among the third gender community in lahore pakistan |
| topic | transgender barriers education health discrimination |
| url | https://journals.uol.edu.pk/jucmd/article/view/3533 |
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