VOICE, VISIBILITY, AND IDENTITY: A CRITICAL DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF KHWAJA SIRA'S SELF-REPRESENTATION IN PAKISTANI MEDIA

Abstract

For decades, the Khwaja Sira community in Pakistan has suffered from denial, derision, and legal neglect. The introduction of the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act in 2018 has, in recent years, provided the transgender community with an opportunity to carve out space in the public sphere and the media. However, media representation of this community still raises questions about the extent of voice, visibility, and identity affirmation the community receives. This study examines the Khwaja Sira community's perceptions of its representation in mainstream and social media outlets across four cities in Pakistan (Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, and Karachi). The study used a quantitative survey design with a structured questionnaire on a five-point scale and a sample of 260 respondents. Four constructs were measured by the instrument: voice, visibility, identity affirmation, and media trust. To analyze the relationships among these constructs, descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression were used. Results indicate that visibility has grown since 2018, though voice and identity affirmation remain low, and media trust is the lowest of all constructs. Regression results indicate that voice and visibility are significant predictors of identity affirmation. The study suggests that visibility without voice can leave the community feeling misrepresented. The paper concludes with suggestions for media houses, policymakers, and future researchers on how to study marginalized communities through a participant-centered approach using quantitative methods.