Longing for dignity: a phenomenological study of transgender lived experiences in Kashmir
Mohd Ashraf Waza, Humaira Showkat, Abdul Mohsin, Irfanullah FarooqiPurpose
This study aims to explore the lived experiences of transgender individuals in the Kashmir Valley, India, focusing on identity negotiation, social marginalisation, and access to healthcare and employment.
Design/methodology/approach
Using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA), this exploratory qualitative study conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with 25 transgender women from Ganderbal district in the Kashmir Valley. Minority Stress Theory and Morgenroth and Ryan's Gender Performance Framework guided the analysis.
Findings
Four major themes emerged from this study: (1) identity negotiation and social invisibility, (2) institutional exclusion and social marginalisation, (3) healthcare barriers and bodily autonomy, and (4) economic exclusion and survival strategies. Participants reported pervasive family rejection, institutional discrimination, limited access to gender-affirming care, and exclusion from formal employment, forcing many into informal cultural performance work.
Research limitations/implications
The study is limited to transgender women from one district in Kashmir and employed snowball sampling; consequently, the findings may not be transferable to transgender men, non-binary individuals or other geographical settings.
Practical implications
Findings underscore the need for culturally sensitive mental health services, legal protections, gender-affirming healthcare infrastructure, and inclusive employment policies.
Social implications
The study highlights how security-intensive contexts, such as Kashmir, intensify marginalisation for gender minorities, calling for intersectional policy interventions.
Originality/value
This study contributes empirical evidence on transgender experiences in Kashmir. In this politically uncertain region, such research is scarce and extends the application of Minority Stress Theory and the Gender Performance Framework to South Asian contexts.