Empowering the Excluded: A Review of Skill-Based Education for Eunuchs in South Asia

Abstract

In South Asia, the eunuchs are known as hijras, and the lack of access to education or employment opportunities makes them one of the most marginalized communities. Potential avenues for economic empowerment, skill-based education, and vocational training remain unavailable and underutilized. This review is based on studies from 2015-2025 in South Asia and analyzes the role of educational barriers and vocational programs. Having untouchable stigmas like the scars of colonial rule or present-day prejudice ensures that the doors of learning are shut at all costs. In spite of India's Transgender Persons Act and Pakistan's Constitutional protections, the lack of enforcement, institutional discrimination, and non-inclusive infrastructure sustain the status quo. Government and NGO skill development programs are poorly funded, designed, and constructed. The review emphasizes that systemic change is necessary. The suggestions call for strong partnerships, policy enforcement, and inclusive educational spaces for social and economic exclusion.

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Authors & Affiliations

• Muhammad Rafiq-uz-Zaman — Ph.D. Department of Education, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, Punjab, Pakistan.