Hijras, the third gender in South Asia Two members of the hijra community in India, who identify as neither man nor woman, dressed in women's fashion while attending the Pushkar Camel Fair, Pushkar, Rajasthan, India, November 2013. (more) hijra gender identity Written by Meg Matthias Meg Matthias is Senior Video Production Manager at Encyclopædia Britannica. Meg MatthiasAll Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated May 28, 2026 •History hijra, term used in South Asia, and particularly in India, for members of a third-gender community that is often described as neither male nor female. The hijra identity is often compared to transgender identity, and the two have some similarities; however, the terms are not interchangeable—some hijras may identify as transgender, nonbinary, or intersex, but others do not. Members of the community are typically assigned male at birth, occasionally intersex, and adopt traditionally feminine dress,...

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