Portrait of a Khwaja Sira

The Khwaja Sira are indigenous gender diverse population in Pakistan, historically marginalized and oppressed by colonialism and patriarchy driven by religious extremism.

Transgender women in Indo-Pakistan have an aesthetic sense of makeup, wearing jewellery, carrying bright and beautiful clothes, singing and dancing in functions and ceremonies. They have their own indigenous culture, language and customs. They live in Guru-Chela relationships and have their own economic systems and norms. Their income is mostly depending on sex work, dancing and begging. Stigma, gender-based violence, hatred and excluded from mainstream society left them marginalized. This portrait embraces all these aspects of their restricted life. They find peace and relaxation in their transformation make-up, jewellery, and glittering clothes.

The Guru or “Mother of the House” is a transgender mentor and who supports transgender women by teaching them how to dress, about the process of transitions, how to grow as a transgender sex worker and attract the clients. This form of Guru-Chela-relationship can be seen as a form of queer-feminist solidarities. This is added by services like shelters and psycho social support provided by allies and other transgender fellows called Sangat (“friend”) in local language.