Dr Ahonaa Roy

Covid-19 Disorder(ly): Gender, Housing and Community Engagement in the Slums of Mumbai

This research builds on an anthropological study of Dharavi slum in Mumbai, India in the post-COVID times, exploring the gender(ed) subaltern representations; the hijras and the transgenders. Building on the ethnography of their health, housing and social conditions, this research adopts an interdisciplinary and intersectional approach to understand the multitudes of vulnerabilities and distress within these populations especially in the time of national/global crisis. This research is to map ethnographic study of vulnerability and further building recommendation on policy-based research for gendered subaltern.

The plight of hijra eviction from the slums in India, and lack of shelter, weak health services and poor housing conditions have led to vulnerabilities, challenging basic life conditions, lack of sustenance, risk factors and death. The project cuts across disciplines of anthropology, architecture and gender studies to understand community engagements and housing provision as unique characteristics as a resilient health services for these gendered subaltern.