Transgender Facing Social Issues in Kohat Community: Submitted To: Dr. Mamoon Khattak
Transgender Facing Social Issues in Kohat Community: Submitted To: Dr. Mamoon Khattak
Transgender Facing Social Issues in Kohat Community: Submitted To: Dr. Mamoon Khattak
Submitted From:
Abdullah, Hassan Bilal, Basit Uzair, Shah Habib, Khalid Usman, Baber
Hussain
Table Of Contents
1. Abstract
2. Introduction
3. Literature Review
4. Field Work Methodology
5. Data Collection
6. Case Studies
7. Key consultants
8. Conclusion
9. References
Abstract
The core purpose of this study was to bring forth the gender identity and social
interaction issues of transgender in Kohat and Peshawar society. For this purpose
a number of 20 transgender were interviewed within their social environment to
understand phenomenon contextually, as spirit spirit of qualitative nature of
study. An interview guide was prepared to assist primary data collection process.
The research found that transgender do face gender identity and social interaction
issues in Pakistani society. They perceived that society to give them lesser respect
and social acceptance therefore they feel socially isolated to a significant extent.
it is recommended that society shall be made aware and motivated at large to
accept transgender respectable third gender. there is a great and need of
inculcating confidence and motivation among transgender to live within
mainstream society while making their social conditions favourable and by
creating a respectable space for themselves through refined habits improve
human conduct and develop personality.
1.INTRODUCTION
Who am i? This question was asked me so many times by so called “Humans” all
around the world. This question strikes me, why i am like this? Who am i? my
identity is not yet confirmed by so many countries, i cannot get the good position
in government, even though i cannot get my rights for living my life on my will
(Letter of Transgender), the life of transgender has not yet been experienced by
any of the person. A case of transgender in Pakistan got flamed when a
transgender was shot by unknown militants. The administration got confused
where should we took the patient to the male ward or female in mean while he
was fighting with death and sadden he lost his life. Who left the questions behind
“Are we Humans too, are we national of the country, do we have any “Right to
live” in this world.” Transgender can be by choice or by birth there are some
medical terms, which makes them transgender while some of them are
transgender by their own choice, according to the report of Young Adult Fertility
and Sexually Survey 11% of the active Transgenders are in Philippine ( 2002
Young July 2003). Official reports of Indian Government about the active Third
gender, it have found 490,000 are active while transgender activists said this
figure are six to seven times higher than official report claimed. Everybody
chilled when they found that people identified themselves as Transgender. (Rema
Nagarajan, The Times of India 2014). Similarly, there numbers of third
generation in Pakistan, statistics are still not yet confirmed by official reports.
Though numbers of them are not yet confirmed the Supreme Court of Pakistan
give rights to the third gender in all the official documents (Haider 2009). A task
was given to Pakistan government by the Supreme Court of Pakistan to survey
about the third generation population and to give equal rights to them (Ali Shah
2012) no such information could be found so far on the progress of this work in
Pakistan. (EUROPEAN ACADEMIC RESEARCH)
LITERATURE REVIEW:
1.1 TRANSGENDER:
Transgender is “Vast” term which describe the people whose sexual
characteristics identity diverse the form that usually correlate with sex at the time
of birth. Many of the transgender live with full-time or part-time as a member of
the opposite sex. For example, if male is transgendered he wills to lives like a
female if female is transgendered she wills to live like a male. In other words,
people who lives with conventional gender are falls outside of identity,
appearance or behaviors can be described as the transgender. However, everyone
whose outward show or performance is gender-atypical cannot be defined as
transgender person (Force, 2006). Transgender a person whose personal identity
is not confirm, and opposite from male or female gender. Transgender means one
who is not a full male or female. It means those people they belong from third
gender is called transgender. (EUROPEAN ACADEMIC RESEARCH)
OR
A person whose gender identity and/or expression does not or is perceived to not
match stereotypical gender norms associated with his or her assigned gender at
birth. A transgender person can be lesbian, gay, bisexual, or any other sexual
orientation. (ORGANIZATION OF WOMEN’S FREEDOM IN IRAQ
(OWFI)
Gender variance in children can show itself in the way they behave, in their dress
or play, or in how they feel about themselves. Boys may say that they want to be
girls, or that they actually are girls; and girls may wish to be, or believe
themselves to be, boys. This is best understood as a natural, albeit unusual,
variation in human development. Typically, we are divided by our physical sex
appearance into ‘male’ and ‘female’. We tend to think that all human beings fall
into two distinct categories: boys who become men, and girls who become
women. Although we now live in a more equal society where boys and girls have
many interests in common, we still expect that each group will dress somewhat
differently and may often have rather different pastimes, perhaps play with
different toys and have separate groups of friends. Our reproductive organs and
our brains have distinctly different male and female characteristics. The physical
differences that can be seen at birth indicate the ‘sex’ to which we are assigned,
whereas ‘gender identity’ describes the inner sense of knowing that we are
boys/men or girls/women. ‘Gender role’ describes how we behave in society. In
most cases, our sex appearance, gender identity and gender role are in agreement
with each other. So, when the sex of a baby is seen at birth, it is assumed that the
gender identity matches so that a male infant can be safely assigned as a boy, who
will become a man, and a female infant can be assigned as a girl, who will become
a woman. However, a few individuals find that the way they look on the outside
doesn’t fit how they feel inside. The way they are expected to behave, and the
gender role in which they are expected to live may be quite uncomfortable for
them. This discomfort can be anything from slight to severe. The persistent and
profound experience of this discomfort in adults is sometimes described as
‘gender dysphoria’ (dysphoria means unhappiness). Severe gender variance is
now understood to be biologically triggered, so that a baby may be born with a
predisposition to experience this discomfort. Research studies indicate that small
parts of the baby’s brain progress along a different pathway from the sex of the
rest of its body.
This predisposes the baby to a future mismatch between gender identity and sex
appearance. When this mismatch becomes apparent it is regarded as gender
variance. ( MEDICAL CARE FOR GENDER VARIANT CHILDREN AND
YOUNG PEOPLE: ANSWERING FAMILIES’ QUESTIONS)
2.2 What feelings do young people usually have about their gender variance?
In the Department of Health booklet A guide for young trans people in the UK
(listed in Appendix 2) one of the team who produced it describes vividly the
experience of gender variance, using such words as “alienation”, “conflicts” and
“discomfort”. As the booklet says, “There is no easy way to tell someone you’re
trans”. All the time that children try to deal with their gender discomfort by
themselves, they feel loneliness, shame and even that they are freaks. As stated
in the book True Selves: Understanding Transsexualism (listed in Appendix 2),
“So much of their energy is focused on their gender confusion that their
performance at school is often significantly affected”. Looking back on their
childhoods, adult trans people may describe themselves as tainted by “patterns of
worthlessness and shame... and a chronic need to apologize for oneself”.1 At
puberty, the stress may intensify as the body begins to develop in a way that the
young person may find increasingly disgusting. The following extracts from a
letter written by Melissa Page (not real name) illustrate the stress experienced by
young people who have to undergo full pubertal development in what is, for them,
the wrong body: .( MEDICAL CARE FOR GENDER VARIANT CHILDREN
AND YOUNG PEOPLE: ANSWERING FAMILIES’ QUESTIONS)
2.3 How do most parents feel about their child possibly being a transsexual
person?
The reactions of parents differ widely, but most will feel very uncomfortable
when their children exhibit marked gender variant behaviour, so if this is how
you feel, you are not alone. Even those who are generally tolerant about most
aspects of their children’s behaviour may feel puzzled, anxious and embarrassed.
If you are a parent in this position, you may also be fearful about the way your
child may be treated by other children, especially at school. You will want to
protect your child but you may not know how to achieve that. Some children are
able to hide their gender variant feelings for many years so, when they do reveal
them, perhaps inadvertently, their parents are unprepared and shocked.
“I found my 11-year-old son in our bedroom one day. He had taken a skirt and
shoes from my wardrobe, and was wearing them. At first I just laughed and told
him to take them off and put them back. A few weeks later, I found him again,
doing the same thing. The first time, I assumed it was a ‘one-off’. This time I
thought, ‘We’ve got a real problem here’. I just walked straight out of the room
and left him to it. I felt physically sick. I didn’t feel able to talk about it to him,
or to anyone.” When they first perceive their children’s gender variance, some
parents may try to ignore it. Others may respond angrily and try to force a return
to behaviour that they find acceptable. However, forcing the child to hide its
feelings will not make them go away. If you are feeling guilty because you think
that you have somehow caused this to happen, again, you are not alone. Many
parents experience these doubts and concerns. However, it is important to
understand that this is not the case. Gender identity is just naturally variable. It is
nobody’s fault. Nobody is to blame. Even if you accept your child’s gender
variance you may still have a sense of bereavement and grief: “I have lost my
daughter”; “I will never be a grandmother”. It is natural for parents to be worried,
upset and even scared at the prospect of a child eventually transitioning
permanently to live in the other gender role. However, you may find it comforting
to know that the earlier these difficulties are addressed, the more comfortable and
happy your child may be as an adult. You may find it helpful to share your
concerns with others in a similar situation, for instance by joining a support group
such as Mermaids.( MEDICAL CARE FOR GENDER VARIANT CHILDREN
AND YOUNG PEOPLE: ANSWERING FAMILIES’ QUESTIONS)
3. Transgender in Pakistan:
In Pakistani Culture and background transgender show a very important roles in
different, festivals including marriage ceremony, birthday’s, Eid festival and their
big events. Still transgender in Pakistan link up to (Murat,Hijra,Khawaja Sara and
Khusra) Pakistani given by different names to third gender. It is a group of people
they have the lowest degree of right or honor in Pakistan. Because of uneducated
and aggressive mind set peoples, even they do not prompt to accept them as a
human being of Pakistani society. And from all the part of Pakistan they faced
“ignorance” and large “rejection”. According to a recent survey of transgender
sex, about onethird of 50 children are noticeable with chronic tendencies /
potential. In other words, about 2% of Pakistan's population are struck or affected
by transgenderism (Akhtar, 2016). Third gender is firstborn determined by
family. In initial glance the families become hyper to kill them or to throw them
from their circle because they feel a shamed have a part of family. No one knows
being born what sex you belong to? Then why Hijra faced lowborn discrimination
in family, communities, social groups, schools, and society it means in every
single step of life.
According to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Supreme Court of Pakistan
agreed to give transgender equal rights like other citizens of this country with
protection under the article 4 and 9 of the Pakistani constitution 1973. In 2013,
they got as same rights as all citizens of Pakistan. And the federal and provincial
governments give them basic rights of employments, education, health, work in
governments different departments during the comparable period of time.
Transgender rights and the productive paradoxes of Pakistani policing.(
EUROPEAN ACADEMIC RESEARCH)
4. Some cases around pakistan
1 In her twenties, Jannat Ali dreamt of walking outside as a woman. Society,
however, wanted her to live in one of two gender boxes. But she never fully
identified with either.
"I always felt uncomfortable sitting with boys," she says, describing her
experience while in school.
Ali, who now identifies as a transgender woman, would save pocket money to
take dance classes, telling her family she was attending yoga.
"When I was dancing, I was free - wherever I was," she told Al Jazeera.
Although Ali is among the few transgenders who retains family support, it was
not always this way. At one point, Ali's sibling accused her of tarnishing the
family name and contributing nothing to the family, even though she was their
primary breadwinner.
"I have been earning for seven years," Ali recalled telling her family.
While the term "transgender" gained widespread usage in the West during the
1970s, in South Asia the term usually refers to a more specific, and older, group
of individuals known as hijras, some of whom prefer to be known by other
designations such as khawaja sira.
While guru-chela communities retain their importance to this day, there is also an
increasing number of individuals who have adopted a global transgender identity
outside these traditional institutions.
Regardless of whether they become chelas, many transgender Pakistanis are also
trying to maintain relations with their families.
However, increasing familial acceptance has brought its own set of challenges,
particularly in the realm of inheritance.
"Transgenders have the right to live with dignity and avail all fundamental rights
guaranteed by the constitution," Senator Sehar Kamran tells Al Jazeera.
The Senate's decision marks the most recent development in a long history of
rulers recasting hijra's position in South Asian society.
The British, however, viewed hijras as a menace to public decency and morality,
attempting to criminalise their begging and even classifying the group as a
"criminal tribe" in 1871.
In the decades after Pakistan declared independence from the British in 1947,
successive governments have sought to protect the sexual minority and guarantee
their rights.
In 2011, the group received the right to vote, and a year later, the government
awarded them the right to inheritance, promising them equal treatment under the
law.
Last year, Pakistan also counted transgenders as a separate category in the census.
But for the transgender community on the ground, these developments often feel
distant.
"The main area of concern for transgenders is the accessibility of services," said
Qamar Naseem, a programmed coordinator at Blue Veins, a Peshawar-based
organisation that works with the transgender community.(Toppa.S,2018)
2 In another gruesome case in 2016, Alisha, a transgender who was gunned down
in Pakistan's northwest, died when a hospital tried to decide whether to admit her
to the male or female wing.
"Dance is my best friend. At least I have a platform where I can be myself," she
said.
In 2009, Supreme Court also passed the order of including the category of ‘third
gender’ in the national identity card form. Transgenders in Pakistan were awarded
the right to REGISTER as a third gender on their CNICs in 2012. a three-member
bench of the Supreme Court, headed by former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad
Chaudhry, ruled that the transgender community is equally entitled to rights
guaranteed in the Constitution to all citizens, including the right of inheritance
after the death of parents, job opportunities, free education and health care.
However, while their rights are guaranteed on paper, members of the transgender
community say they do not have these rights in practice and provincial welfare
departments have yet to implement the decision.
Nature of Respondents:
Sampling Procedure:
Key Consultants:
Key consultants are member of society who provide information that help
researchers understand the meaning of what they observe. Three were key
consultants of study, 2 from Peshawar one from Kohat.
Data Collection:
All the respondent were between age 20-30 where six of them have the education
level above F.SC. And remaining was of metric and below metric. In our study
of about third gender we presented statement in front of them and they share their
views regarding our statement. In response about first statement all of respondent
was agreed on that many of people in Kohat city abuse third gender in society.
They were agreed on statement that socialization have a role in the abusing of
third gender in society.
Focus Group Discussion of Iqbal Plaza Peshawar situated in area code is
0992
This Second group discussion was conducted at Iqbal Plaza Peshawar. Total 15
respondent participated in our FGD. Including members were Mr. Hassan Bilal,
Mr. Adil, Mr. Basit Uzair, Mr. Abdullah, Mr. Shah Habib and Mr. Khalid Usman.
This FGD took 2 and a half hour. The major finding of this FGD are as under:
Nickname: Choosni
Mr. Ahmed Ali is a third gender, living in Kohat Mustafa Bazaar for last 10 years.
He is a Dancer by profession. He told that in past he was like normal man and he
was doing education but due to some family reasons and due to people of society
he left school and join the group of third gender in Peshawar later he shift to
Kohat. He also said that he loved his family very much, visit his family once a
year. He showed his experience about society that the society don't give them
respect, people think that they are not part of a normal society. During interview
there were contradiction in his speech. In his field he feels unsatisfied, he would
again and again ask forgiveness from Allah but he was there because society don't
accept him.
At the end, all the case above shows that Mr Ahmed Ali was not willingly into
this profession and the reason behind is due to the lack of family support and
rejection from the society.
Case Study No. 2:
Name: Ayyan
Nickname: Shiza
Mr Ayan is a transgender which he claim that people called him as Shiza and we
met him at Mustafa Bazar.
He said that he personally belongs to Peshawar and ignored the question when
we ask about his age, but he looked 23 year old to us. When he was asked why
he came to dancing profession then he argued that he is not personally interested
in this profession but circumstances let him to join it. He was forced by his father
after his education that he would act and dress like men, he have contradiction
with the idea but he still act and dress like male for father happiness. Due to his
illiterate father he came to dancing profession by the incident when a man was
sexually abusing him and he rejected men leading it to a fight of his father and
that man. His father blame him for this situation and told him to leave the house,
in anger. He claims he is not supported by family and he can't do any job because
of harassing from people. He also share his personal experience that he feels to
be a woman but in a body of man. We are so told that he have a boyfriend for the
reason behind is that he want to feel secure. The discussion when about 40
minutes in which he also tells about his interest that is hosting an
event(comparing). You also shares his harassment cases that was done with him
in childhood.
The reason behind of Ayyan for coming into this profession because of the lack
of emotional support, family support and society support. At last, he suggested
that he will like government to pay attention to them and make some policies that
are favorable to transgender.
Case Study No. 3:
From the discussion we came to know that 24 years old Husnain Gujjar is
basically from Sialkot living in a room in Iqbal Plaza.
He claims that reason for coming into this profession is because of no family
support and society support. They can't do job because of harassment and they
can't walk freely through streets and bazaars freely. Police won't pay attention to
them or they would concern after sexual abuse. He said that before coming to this
profession he was lacking emotional support but after coming to this profession
the new environment first felt good but then turn from interest to forceful
situation. When he came to this profession he came to knew that transgenders
who're well known and with a beauty have value and they can earn through
dancing in Peshawar but little known transgender would use prostitution to earn
money.
He wants the govt. to make some policies or provide jobs favorable to transgender
like all organisation comprises of transgenders.
Case Study No. 4:
Nickname: Khushboo
The reason behind coming into dancing and prostitution is society that when he
started to attend school he was harassed by teachers and students, leading him to
drop out from school. Other factors include lack of support from parents, if
someone wood sexually harassed him the blame would come on to him that he
would have invited such situation. He felt insecure in that society, and was
lacking emotional support. After hitting puberty he was in need of money, to buy
things for himself of female things but he wasn't supported by his father very
much. So he accepted this profession and now he is doing the job unwillingly in
this profession.
First he was irritated of us and not willing to do the interview with us because he
says that many organisations media have came and done the interview with them
but nothing has happened, this disappointment was the factor that he was not
willing to do the interview, but other fellow transgender request him to do the
interview as he was the most senior transgender there.
We explored about his life it was same as other transgender interview, facing
same problem as the others. He says that the life of the transgender is tough that
one of the most common problem is people teasing them and harassing them. He
says that he can't walk freely through streets or crowded place of bazaar as people
would call them with rude or rough names.
He says that people should treat us like normal people. We want to earn Halal
money and to live a good satisfactory life, but problem is that government didn't
take a positive step to provide jobs for transgenders or if they provide jobs
transgender is harassed there, that's the only reason that we are doing and stuck
to entertain people in parties and marriages through dancing.
Key Consultants
We concluded that in today’s advance society they still face problems. There are
different problems, firstly it can be seen they are all responsible for themselves.
They undertake the isolation from society and never involved with the society,
some aspects can be seen in society too that being so civilized discrimination still
exists with them. Transgender have also misconception about the society, they
assume that society never accept us, never give opportunity for their welfare. In
contrary, the reality is they have accepted this dancing profession by themselves,
they are not naturally being isolated but spend big amount of money on
themselves to look girlish which is the reason they won’t take any government
jobs or policies because the expenditure is too much for themselves to leave
dancing profession, so causes for adoption of such professions by transgender can
be captured:
1. Money.
2. Self interest.
3. Government jobs wages cannot satisfy their needs.
4. Famliy problems.
References
2. Curtis, R. & Levy, A. (2008). Medical Care for Gender Variant Children and Young
People: Answering Families’ Questions. Retrieved from www.dh.gov.uk/publications,
October 26, 2018.
3. Toppa, S. (5 Mar 2018). Pakistan's Transgender Community Takes Another Step Forward.
Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/03/pakistan-transgender-community-
takes-step-180305081113645.html, November 10, 2018.