“I feel like a mermaid. My body tells me that I am a man but my
soul tells me that I am a woman. I am like a flower, a flower that is
made of paper. I shall always be loved from a distance, never to be
touched and no smell to fall in love with.” Heena,51
Hijra, a term of South Asia which have no exact match in the
modern western taxonomy of gender, designated as male at birth
with feminine gender identity and eventually adopts feminine
gender roles. They are often grossly labeled as hermaphrodites,
eunuchs, transgender or transsexual women in literature,
presently a more justified social term for them is the Third Gender.
Instead of coming from various social and family backgrounds,
Hijras feel a strong sense of belongings to their groups. These
groups give them the shelter of a family and the warmth of human
relationship.
I am working on Transgender community in Bangladesh known as
Hijra, since 2012 . Bangladesh has recently accepted the Hijras as
the Third Gender. I am willing to seize this opportunity to
highlight the fundamental aspects of social discrimination, which
lead the Hijras to migrate into a foreign land, India. My intention
to show how different religion and culture deal with issues like this
differently and adds another dimension towards the social
acceptance of Hijras. I hope my work will help the Hijras to find a
breathing space in a claustrophobic society like ours.
Shahria Sharmin is a freelance photographer based in Dhaka, Bangladesh. After doing her Masters in Public Administration from the University of Dhaka, Shahria pursued her further study at Pathshala South Asian Media Academy in Bangladesh where she became fascinated with the social history of photography and the evolution of identity, sexuality and gender in relationship to material culture. ‘Call me Heena’ Shahria’s ongoing project, takes her interest in photography’s connection with identity to explore and express the diversity of human experience.
Awards • Alexia Foundation, 2nd Place Student Grant 2014
• FotoVisura,Top Finalist 2014
• Pride Photo, 2nd Place under the category, “Getting Closer” 2014
• LGBTE International Art 2014,The Best Photographer Prize
• Mosco Foto Award MIFA 2014, 2nd place in life style category, non professional
• Accademia Apulia UK 2014, 2nd place
• Renaissance Photography Prize 2015, Finalist
• International Photographer of the Year IPOTY 2016
• Honorable mention in the 2016 Exposure Award
• Magnum Photography Award 2017, Juror’s Pick
• Women Photograph grant in conjunction with the Pulitzer Center on Crisis 2017,
Shortlisted
• IPA Documentary Award, Finalist
• World Press Photo 6X6 Global Talent from the Asia
• Recipient of 26th Joop Swart Masterclass, 2019
