The intersex group in Pakistan has endured substantial discrimination and systemic violence for a large portion of history. The country is home to over one and a half a million intersex individuals. In South Asia, the history of the gender-diverse population dates back thousands of years and till date, the intersex community holds a significant position.
Now, in order to understand the rights of intersex, the significant difference between the two terms, transgender and intersex, must be highlighted. In simple terminology, Intersex people have reproductive anatomy or genes that don’t fit typical definitions of male or female, which is often discovered at birth. Being transgender, meanwhile, has to do with your internal knowledge of your gender identity. A transgender person is usually born with a body and genes that match a typical male or female, but they know their gender identity to be different. Hence, the religious differences in opinion shall be put aside as being intersex is a natural phenomenon and has nothing to do with one’s sexuality.
Although they play an essential role in our culture, they are still the most socially and locally rejected community in Pakistan. According to reports, intersex persons in Pakistan frequently have their family reject them and live in communities that are typically run by a guru. 42% of the community is illiterate due to exclusion from education. This leads to a vicious cycle of degraded lifestyle among the leading generations. Employment is mostly concentrated in a few jobs. There only seem to be two career options for intersex people: the entertainment industry and sex industry. Thought to be among the oldest professions in the world, prostitution has proven to be quite hazardous for this society. Due to this reason, people from this community are most likely to be prone to diseases such as HIV/AIDS and numerous other sexually transmitted diseases.
Other than being deprived of basic human rights, the intersex community in Pakistan has faced inhumane and extremely brutal behaviour from the people around. Physical and psychological violence has been legitimised in Pakistan’s male-dominated society by restricting the mobility of intersex people in various spaces. A very strong proof of this violence, as reported by `Los Angeles Times’ is in 2016 when Alisha, a 23 year-old intersex rights activist was shot seven times by a gang, according to local reports. She was rushed to the hospital in the city of Peshawar, but the staff argued over whether to take her to the male ward or the female ward. Alisha bled to death, while the hospital staff was busy arguing over her gender. Another example as reported by ANI news is of Majid, an intersex person, who was stabbed to death by unknown suspects near Shershah area of Karachi, Sindh. Intersex people in Pakistan continue to live a life of torment as they are treated like inferior beings.
Violence against them remains neglected with no serious action being taken by the concerned authorities. Therefore, it is obligatory on us as individuals to make the intersex community feel an integral part of our society. They should be included and welcomed equally in all sectors from education to employment to health facilities and recreational activities. If we want to make this nation a prosperous one, we shall take into consideration the very marginalised yet significant community amongst us, the intersex community. Let’s create a world where everyone has the same rights as others and end the social injustices to heal the world to make it a better place.