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. 2022 Jul 7;17(7):e0269375.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269375. eCollection 2022.

Human rights violations and associated factors of the Hijras in Bangladesh-A cross-sectional study

A S M Amanullah  1 , Tanvir Abir  2 , Taha Husain  3 , David Lim  4 , Uchechukwu L Osuagwu  5 , Giasuddin Ahmed  6 , Saleh Ahmed  7 , Dewan Muhammad Nur-A Yazdani  8 , Kingsley E Agho  9
Affiliations

Human rights violations and associated factors of the Hijras in Bangladesh-A cross-sectional study

A S M Amanullah et al. PLoS One. .

Abstract

Background: Hijras in Bangladesh face considerable discrimination, stigma, and violence despite the 2013 legislation that recognized Hijras as a third gender. There is a dearth of published literature describing the extent of human rights violations among this population and their associated factors.

Methods: A questionnaire was administered to 346 study participants aged 15 years and older, living in five urban cities of Bangladesh who self-identified as Hijra, in 2019. The six human rights violation indicators (Economic, Employment, Health, Education, Social and Civic and Political Right) assessed were categorized as binary. Associations between sociodemographic characteristics and the six human rights violations were tested using univariate and multivariate logistic regression.

Results: Human right violations including economic, educational, political, employment, health and social/civil right violations were reported in 73.3%, 59.3%, 58.5%, 46.4%, 42.7%, and 34.4% of the participants, respectively. Economic rights violations were associated with bisexuality (Adjusted odds ratios [AOR] 3.60, 95%CI: 1.57, 8.26) and not living with family (AOR 2.71, 95%CI: 1.21, 6.09), while Hijras who earned more than 10,000 Bangladesh Taka experienced higher odds of educational (AOR 2.77, 95%CI: 1.06, 7.19) and political rights violations (AOR 4.30, 95%CI: 1.06, 7.44). Living in Dhaka city was associated with a reduced odds for economic and political rights violation while experiencing violations of one human right could lead to violation of another in the Hijra community.

Conclusion: Human rights violations were common in Bangladesh Hijras, particularly the Bisexual Hijras. Media and educational awareness campaigns are needed to address the underlying roots of a violation. Programs focused on the families, young people and high-income earners of this community are needed in Bangladesh.

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Conflict of interest statement

All authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript.

Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1. Prevalence of six human rights violations of Bangladeshi Hijras.
Error bars represent 95% confidence intervals.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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