Peace-Building in Pakistan: Khwaja Sira Activism

The Pakistani khwaja sira community have faced significant oppression and structural violence throughout much of history. Khwaja sira is an umbrella term used for the trans, intersex and gender non-conforming people in South-East Asia; it is being used to replace the word hijra because many people in the community feel as though it has a negative connotation. Historically, they were given honourable and valued social positions, however through colonization they were labelled with a subordinate social class. Until 2009, this community did not have access to civil rights. This essay discusses the activism that resulted in the reversal of the structurally violent policies that oppressed the khwaja sira community.