Ma (Mother)
‘Ma’ (Mother) is a series of photographic portraits of Hijras living in Bangladesh. Hijras are more commonly known as transgender people in western society.
An estimated 10,000 Hijra people live in Bangladesh. Hijra’s are people of the Third Gender, neither identifying themselves as male or female. Often Hijras are adopted into a community at a young age to live with others who are of the same gender where they are provided support and acceptance of their situation. They are guided by their guru who they address as Ma (Mother).
The artist met with two separate groups of the Hijra community who shared stories of challenges they faced since childhood from their biological families and society. Whilst their gender is given recognition by the government, they still face poverty that they are forced into due to the lack of employment opportunities available, government support and society’s inability to accept them.
These images give voice to their struggle for an equal place in society that is rightfully theirs.
“We want to integrate with people because we are humans at the end of the day but normal people don’t understand that.” - Lipi Hijra
