Techniques for Building Community and Increasing Resilience Amongst Khwaja Sira (Third Gender People) in Swat, Pakistan

Background: Khwaja sira is the term most frequently used in contemporary Pakistan to refer to third gender people. The label khwaja sira has now become an umbrella term in Pakistan that is used to refer to people who were typically assigned male sex at birth, but currently identify or express themselves as women or khwaja sira (third gender). Previous research has documented how khwaja sira in Pakistan have experienced verbal, physical and psychological abuse because of their sexual orientation and/or gender nonconformity. Many khwaja sira have encountered rejection from their families of origin for not conforming to masculine gender roles. At home, family members have used physical, verbal, and emotional violence in attempts to modify khwaja sira’s gender-nonconforming behaviors. Many young khwaja sira are forced to leave their families because of their families’ stigmatization. During the pandemic, public performances were discontinued and khwaja sira became further financially marginalized, leading them to be more likely to engage in sex work for survival, and in turn increasing their risk for verbal, physical, and sexual violence, and exposure to COVID-19 and HIV. This study explores resilience and community-building strategies among khwaja sira, a third-gender community, in Swat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.

Methods: We conducted semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 45 khwaja sira in Mingora, Swat. Interviews were conducted in Pashto, digitally audio recorded, transcribed and translated directly into English, and analyzed using thematic content analysis. The theoretical framework guiding this study is resilience theory, which defines resilience as an attribute of adaptation and ability that can protect individuals from the adverse effects of psychosocial experiences. Resilience has been characterized in various ways, including positive growth, thriving under stress, reduced distress over time, enhanced tolerance for psychosocial stressors, positive adaptation amid difficulties or adversities, and increased utilization of resources in the face of adversity.

Results: Applying resilience theory, we identified five major themes in the interviews: (1) creating solidarity in community with other khwaja sira; (2) thriving in constant precarity; (4) trusting in kismet (fate); and (5) advocating for social change. Under the larger theme of creating solidarity, we identified four subthemes: (a) leaving home to avoid being shunned by one’s family, (b) receiving protection from one’s guru, (c) creating new forms of kinship, (d) receiving financial and social support from other khwaja sira. Findings suggest that the khwaja sira community exhibits resilience in the face of adversity, utilizing a range of individual and collective coping strategies to overcome social marginalization.

Discussion: The khwaja sira community’s strategies of engaging in resilience included community building, creation of social and financial solidarity, techniques for managing precarity, and advocating for social change. Resilience theory posits that resilience is not a fixed trait, but rather a set of skills and capacities that can be learned and developed over time. Despite facing marginalization and discrimination, the khwaja sira community were able to draw on their collective experiences and develop innovative strategies for building community and increasing resilience.