THREAD: There is a need for a national discourse on rights of intersex people (Khwaja Sira). Despite the fact that Pakistan has some very good legislations but they stay on paper most of the time. Pakistan gave them a status of third gender, which is better than UK
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where they require a person to have lived in acquired gender for 2 years to qualify for an identity. Without ID cards, intersex people could not do business, or it could be seized by anyone. Most of them are ostracized and abandoned in their childhood by their families
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because they have disorders with their genitalia, they are taken in by "gurus" who are the head khwaja siras, and they get a cut from their incomes through begging, dancing and even as sex workers. Pakistani law forbids discrimination, requires the government to give them
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vocational training, easy loans and even make shelter homes for them.
How much of it do you see practically? None. So there is a need to push government in this regard. Dozens get murdered, get named in false cases, get denied facilities in hospitals and even funerals.
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Parents who are ready to keep the child also face difficulties with getting them necessary surgeries and dealing with their harmonal deficiencies as their sex is ambigious in first few years of life, and there is lack of awareness. Experts say these issues are caused by
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harmonal usage in cattle and poultry farming and also by using pesticides in agriculture. They become a part of the food and disrupt the internal harmonal system. Many such babies are declared boys because people have a greater desire for sons. Some men divorce women who
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give birth to such children. So, as you see that there is a great deal for us to learn and one of the key role here is from the ulema. They should be pushed to tell majority of population not to judge someone over something they have no control over. Calling someone hijra
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is considered a matter of abuse. Council of Islamic Ideology in Pakistan has been one of the supporters of intersex community, but there is no effort to raise awareness at the grassroot level. In a nutshell, we need to push ulema and civil society to create awareness,
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we need to push government to implement the legislations and give them their deserved rights, and finally, we need to make them a part of our society by encouraging parents to keep them, to end this guru system of exploitation. 

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