In Bangladesh, the transgender community, known as hijras, have long been marginalized due to a lack of legal protections and limited access to education and job opportunities. Many hijras are forced to beg or engage in sex work to survive. However, a new textbook introduced in January for schoolchildren between the ages of 11 and 13 is hoping to change this by featuring a segment on transgenders. The textbook includes images of hijras in respectable jobs, a fictional story of a child transitioning, and promotes acceptance of the community.
While the government recognized hijras as a third gender in 2013, sexual activity between people of the same sex is still illegal in Bangladesh. Thus, the inclusion of the transgender community in school textbooks has been met with controversy. A large crowd of conservative Muslims protested at Dhaka’s main mosque, calling for the textbook to be recalled. However, many students have responded positively to the new knowledge, and some hijras and their supporters are hopeful that the textbooks will spread awareness and improve their status in society.
Rights groups estimate that there are between 10,000 to 1.5 million hijras in Bangladesh, and their story is finally being recognized in the country’s education system. For hijras, the textbook’s inclusion is an opportunity to share their stories and raise awareness about their struggles, and for the students, it is a chance to learn about a community that has long been ignored. As transgender community leader Jonak expressed, “Those who learn more about us will hopefully understand and then work towards our development in the future.”
