Health

1
Health Treatment Seeking Behavior in Hijra
Community in Delhi

• Yashwinder Singh
• The Naz Foundation (India) Trust
• New Delhi

2
Who are Hijras???

• Hijras are individuals who neither identify
  themselves as a man nor a woman, identify
  themselves as woman, identify themselves between
  a man and a woman.
• Often referred as third gender.

3
Socio economic background of Hijras

• They are in Indian sub continent.
• They always cross dress.
• Hijra subculture is extremely hierarchical.
• They often embrace Islam after joining the
  community.
• Community has its own language, rules of conduct
  punishment.

4
Socio economic background of Hijras

• Hijra subculture has historical mythologies.
• Emasculation is very common feature in the
  community.
• The term kinnar is recently being used.
• Illiteracy poverty are common in the community.
  
• Main source of livelihood includes badhai,
  begging and sex work.

5
Objectives of the Study

• Objective To identify health treatment seeking
  behavior of the community and to integrate right
  based approach in the prevention based programs
  in Delhi.

6
Methodology

• Study was done in Delhi.
• Time period of the study was 3 months.
• 5 FGDs 30 IDIs with the community members were
  conducted.
• 2 case studies were taken up.

7
Methodology

• External stakeholders for KII 5 doctors, 5
  community healers, 5 police personnel, 5
  religious leaders, 5 area in charge personnel.
• Internal stakeholders for KII 5 community
  leaders 20 would be community leaders.

8
Findings

• Hijras denied admissions in govt. hospitals.
• Doctors perceive them to be not worth living and
  nuisance.
• Police believes that Hijras are criminal under
  existing laws and have no right to co exist with
  the mainstream.
• Religious leaders see them as immoral beings.

9
Findings

• Hijras have been denied necessary govt. documents
  like ration cards, DL, Voters ID card, etc. as
  Hijras.
• Though Indian Passport have the option of E as
  gender but many community members perceive it to
  be misleading and insulting.

10
Findings

• Many could not complete even their primary
  education because of harassment faced at schools.
• Given option many community members would take up
  alternate source of livelihood.
• Many were denied services like bank account.

11
Recommendations

• Medical establishments and law enforcement
  agencies need to be sensitized on the issues of
  sexuality gender.
• Issues related to Hijras need to be mainstreamed.
• Policies need to be framed at the govt. level to
  ensure rights of the Hijras are not violated.

12
Thanks