Effects of COVID-19 on Livelihood, Health, and Psychology of Hijra Population: Insights from Dhaka, Bangladesh

Abstract

ABSTRACT The COVID-19 lockdown in Bangladesh has left hijra individuals at an increased risk of poverty and food insecurity due to the economic crisis. COVID-19 challenges the fundamental foundation of the public health system, and now the hijra group is out of the system because of stigma and discrimination. This article features three focus group discussions (FGDs) conducted by 23 respondents about their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. The following research aimed to understand the health, mental stress, and social and economic effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on the lives of deprived and marginalized hijra people in Bangladesh. The results reflect the effect of COVID-19 in terms of social, health care, and mental health problems on the hijra community in Bangladesh. In the aftermath of the pandemic, their disadvantaged and socially excluded status makes the hijra population more vulnerable to being affected by the virus and facing its economic and social impacts. The conclusion presents that hijra people are assumed to suffer under the severity of the pandemic even more than the general population due to the intersections between their status as a vulnerable social group and their high level of medical risk factors.