A message to the Gender Diverse and Hijra community in response to COVID-19
A message from APA member Bandhu Social Welfare Society (Bandhu).
Bandhu expresses solidarity with the other community-based organizations during this difficult time when most social interaction and movement has to be restricted. Many of us may be trying to cope with uncertainty and anguish. We must accept that this crisis will not pass quickly...and that when it does, the World as we know it will change significantly.
The COVID-19 pandemic has made the vast social, economic and health disparities even more clear.
Bandhu is concerned about this and how this is negatively affecting our communities who may
be facing an elevated and unprecedented level of discrimination and stigma than ever before.
- From experience we know that gender diverse population and Hijra people face discrimination in accessing quality healthcare from mainstream health care system....we anticipate that these barriers will worsen now when hospitals and clinics are overburdened with high patient load; and sometime even doctors and nurses are not willing to accept patients due to fear of COVID-19.
- We have received reports that due to country lockdown some persons living with HIV are struggling to receive their life saving ART medicine from the HIV treatment centers despite these drugs being imperative for them to retain the quality of their immune system which is key to fight of possible COVID 19 infection;
- We also realize that those who make their living selling sex or begging are already facing huge financial challenges
- A large number of gender diverse persons have no choice but to be in isolation within hostile environments with unsupportive or bullying families
- Trans women and Hijras are most vulnerable in this situation as most of them depend on their day to day earnings. And also, they are vulnerable to abuses by different authorities in this condition.
- Bandhu has taken number of initiatives related to COVID response amongst Transgende and gender variance women. Amongst them raising safety awareness, gender-based violence and providing required food support are important.
- Due to the current situation many Hijra community members around Bangladesh will not be able to engage in their traditional livelihood activities, such as collecting alms, sex work and so on. Many of them live from hand to mouth and they entirely depend on their daily work. As roads are getting closed, their way of earning is shutting down too. So, they are facing difficulties to pay rent, pay for groceries and pay for utilities.
- The pandemic is causing mental health issues which includes anxiety and fearfulness. If the situation goes very long time then that may lead to many other more serious mental health complications including clinical depression.
- There is a concern for gender-based violence during this pandemic situation most specifically violence against Transwomen and gender variance women. In the current situation unfortunately, they are not in the priority list hence becoming more vulnerable than any other section of the society. Due to the pandemic induced anxiety there is a rise in the curve of the domestic violence against all women from all intersections which also includes sexual assaults, rape, and cyber violence. Numerous news reports are providing evidence on the fact that perpetrators are taking the advantage of the lockdown situation and limited legal discourse to abuse and assaults and most of them are being left unreported. But it is good to see the National Helpline Number 109 which is a 24-hour helpline is still in operation to report issues on violence against women and a person does not need to go to the office in person.
- Since the global and national focused have been shifted into the covid-19 therefore the issues related to access to information and services for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights have taken the back seat again but the demand and necessity has not decreased. In this situation social media can play a great role in terms of providing fact and evidence information to the different cluster of the society buy tagin. Only a fraction of the society will be able to get this information considering the lack of access to digital media. This is a matter of concern that we all need to address carefully hoe we can strategies creatively in this limited mobility situation and ensure SRHR services and access to information for all.
Member
