The Hijras And The Oppression Of Women

Words: 533
Pages: 3
Open Document
Not only do hijras go through the emasculation operation to erase their masculinity but Reddy mentions in great detail the use of cimtes (tweezers) in order to remove a beard off of a hijra’s face. A hijra may not shave her face because it causes the hairs to grow back thicker and the area to get black, leading the hijra’s face to look more masculine than feminine (Reddy, 2005). Not only do they try to look less masculine, they try to look more feminine by bleaching their faces and taking medicine that makes their skin lighter. In India, there is an understanding that light skinned women are more beautiful and more preferred by the entire society. So these hijras try to look as light as they possibly can by continuously working on their complexions. The hijras who have an extremely strong desire to be a woman even overdose on hormone pills to be able to produce breastmilk and grow breasts …show more content…
There is evidently an endless fight of time consuming and painful measures only to look more like women and less like men.
Though it is a lengthy and irreversible process, hijras feel as if they have no choice but to get the operation done because if they do not, they will not be accepted as a part of the hijra community or even as a male in the male/female community because they are neither until they get the operation done. If they go to beg without being emasculated, they will eventually get caught and teased for being a “fake” hijra and will not be given anything. As kids, these hijras would sit with the girls instead of the boys in school and get ridiculed for it by not only their classmates but also their teachers. Some had no one to turn to so they would ignore the bullying and continue as if it was not happening. In Nanda’s writing, Kamladevi, a hijra prostitute, discusses
Show More

Related Documents: The Hijras And The Oppression Of Women

Essay about Anthro: Marriage and Native American Religions

mother-infant interaction and the belief that mother love is a universal phenomenon Article 16: Arranging a Marriage in India * Young men and women in India do not date and have very little social life involving members of the opposite sex * “In America, girls spend their time worrying about whether they will meet a man and get married.” * “In India, women have the chance to enjoy life and let their parents do this work and worrying for them.” * Arranged marriages allow for mystery and excitement…

Words 3732 - Pages 15

Isam and US Politics Midterm Notes Essay

wrong message: Jesus is one true savior/messenger (reincarnation conflicts with Monotheism). -Medina/Yethrib. Take in Muhammad even though he’s facing persecution in Mecca. Muhammad and followers leave protection of tribe/family (this moment called Hijra (start of Muslim calendar)). -Quran: initially not a book. Only one Quran (different versions of Bible) and only exists in Arabic (translations could be wrong/misinterpreted). Organized bureaucratically by length (big to small), not chronologically…

Words 2693 - Pages 11

Predicting Sense Of Coherence

Predicting sense of coherence and sense of identity among transgender people – Role Of perceived social stigma and social support Gopica Anand* and Swati Agarwal** * Counselling Psychologist, Hyderabad; ** Asst. Professor, St. Francis College for Women, Hyderabad Abstract Sense of coherence is a global orientation expressing a person's pervasive and enduring feeling of confidence. The term "identity" refers to the capacity for self-reflection and the awareness of self. Stigma refers to a mark or…

Words 4417 - Pages 18