The country I have selected for the final project is India. I have been reading through a variety of articles and news stories and have found that their classification of gender is aligned with the sex of the individual. If a person has breasts and female sexual reproductive organs then she is classified as a woman. If the individual has male sexual reproductive organs, then that person is classified as a man. There are three gender classifications in India—male, female, and hijra. The traditional binary categorization of male and female genders are aligned with heteronormative and patriarchal gender roles, with the exception of the hijra which is a category to describe an individual who lacks masculinity and is most often an individual with male sex organs that dresses in female clothing. (Chakraborty & Thakurata, 2013) The hijra include intersex and transgender individuals who may be heterosexual or homosexual, depending on their preference. (Hylton, Gettleman, and Lyons, 2018) According to the New York Times article, the hijra community is typically composed of L.G.B.T.Q.+ individuals from India who have been outcasted and sexually exploited in modern society. There is more acceptance of this community now than in the past. There are even government hospitals that will perform sex changes on hirjras that are interested, which has saved many people from dying due to non-medical professionals’ sloppy work. (Hylton, Gettleman, and Lyons, 2018). Since sexuality for hijras is still covert and not discussed fluidly amongst society, there are many individuals who spoke out in an article written by Vice about how they first learned about sex. Many individuals said that they learned about sex from their L.G.B.T.Q.+ friends and from porn sites on the internet. (Pundir, 2019) This is because it was taboo for anything outside of heteronormative sexual acts to be discussed in sex education or amongst the community. Many hijras learned about their sexuality from exploration and by communicating with other people like them. Which I find to be very similar in Western culture, as well. People are uncomfortable with speaking about any type of sexual relations outside of heteronormative norms in fear that it will imply they are homosexual or that they agree with it.

                In India, girls become women at a young age. Since India is built on a patriarchal society in which all of the males within society are given power and preference, women are socialized to become good wives and mothers. The women of society are important for the upkeep within the household and is responsible for taking care of the children, but they rely heavily on the males of society for economic needs and status within society. (Chakraborty & Thakurata, 2013) One thing I found particularly interesting about sexuality and gender within India is the taboo that is placed on women because of their menstrual system. When a woman reaches puberty, she likely has her menarche, or first menstrual cycle. From that point on, she is considered a woman and certain constraints are placed on her depending on where she lives and where she works. For instance, in northern parts of India, woman suffer from PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) which has been linked to improper cleansing of the genital area. This syndrome is genetic and is often passed down among generations, but it is very rarely discussed amongst daughters and family members, and almost never discussed as a form of education amongst society. (Tabooed disease…, 2017) This has been tabooed solely because it is linked with menstruation and the female reproductive system and women are too ashamed to even admit they have it, until the problem gets out of control. In the western part of India, women have been removing their wombs entirely in order to continue employment in the sugarcane fields. If a woman is forced to miss work because of her period, it is likely that she will not be able to support her family, because employees that work in the fields are often of low-socioeconomic status. The easiest fix is for them to have surgery to remove their wombs. According to an article from the BBC, 4,605 hysterectomies have been performed in just one district! (Pandey, G. 2019) Following the removal of their wombs, they are often not educated on the aftercare and effects that this will have on their bodies and end up with numerous health problems related to this removal down the road.

                It is extremely unfortunate that there is still so much misunderstanding, inequality, and discrimination that still exists in the world on the basis of gender and sexuality. Marriage is considered a very sacred and important tradition in India and a lot of infanticide and gender/sexuality taboo stems from their cultural significance on heteronormative relationships in culture and the gender roles performed by both the males and females within their society.  There is so much more I could discuss on this topic, but I will end with saying that women in India, although cherished and important amongst society, are not treated well. Many preventable and discriminatory acts and events occur to oppress the women within their society.

Sources Cited:

Chakraborty, K., & Thakurata, R. G. (2013, January). Indian concepts on sexuality. Retrieved July 12, 2019, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3705691/

Hylton, S., Gettleman, J., & Lyons, E. (2018, February 17). The Peculiar Position of India’s Third Gender. Retrieved July 12, 2019, from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/02/17/style/india-third-gender-hijras-transgender.html

Pandey, G. (2019, July 05). Why are menstruating women in India removing their wombs? Retrieved July 12, 2019, from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-48836690

Prasad, U. (2018, June 07). India needs a menstrual leave policy. Retrieved July 12, 2019, from https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/india-needs-a-menstrual-leave-policy/article24105589.ece

Pundir, P. (2019, July 12). We Asked Queer Indians How They First Learned About Sex. Retrieved July 12, 2019, from https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/43j9qj/we-asked-queer-indians-how-they-first-learned-about-sex

Tabooed disease in alienated bodies: A study of women suffering from Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). (2017, September 08). Retrieved July 12, 2019, from https://reader.elsevier.com/reader/sd/pii/S2213398417300593?token=BC8E6CDE046E9297C930125E5E61EDC3B7CA8DA1AA19199F353F5FE8D41B6CD114A511655A48C4DD28798230D09033D9