SSFA-ESFI Welcomes

all to A National Seminar on- “GENDER-THIRD Equality”

We are well acquainted with the term Kinnar or Eunuch in India. It means castrated male. They are neither male nor female. But they have taken the female behavior and characters and even they wear female attires. Apparently, they are looking like that of female in their gesture, but physically they are strong like that of male.

 

The population of hijras in India is estimated to be between 50,000 and 1.2 million. There is a huge disparity in the numbers because population censuses only give space to define either males or females. There are no reliable statistics.

Members of the kinnar or hijra community earn their livelihood by singing and dancing at people's homes in case of a joyous event like marriage.In Indian culture, hijras are frequently invited to dance at weddings and celebrations marking the arrival of a first-born. But despite their ritual significance, hijras are among the most socially disadvantaged group in India..

The kind of social sanction they have achieved is documented by the fact that a few hijras managed to win elections. The case of Shabnam mausi comes to mind - a kinnar who became an MLA. Hijras were granted voting rights in India as late as 1994 and a few hijras like Shabnam Mausi have been elected to public office. She was an MLA in Madhya Pradesh from 1993 to 1998, but that has done nothing to rehabilitate the community. Shabnam Mausi entered a State Legislature and a Rose Venkatesan runs a television talk show on main stream Tamil television, the bulk of them still remain the subject of derision and mockery by “virile” political leaders.

ARE WE WAD OF JUST “THOUSAND RUPEES”

“THE GENDER THIRD…NOT A MAN BUT TRYING TO BE A WOMAN”