Fifteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

In the society of men and women there is another gender which is known as the third gender, transgender, hijra or transsexual. The existence of these human beings, who do not conform to the main two genders, has been documented through human history. The clichéd images of transgender people in society has been debated often in print as well as audio visual media. They has been depicted in numerous drama serials on Pakistan television and private channels. The study examines how transgender people have been depicted in Pakistani television drama serials and how their characters have evolved with time. The study found significant differences between the portrayals in drama serials over a period of approximately twenty years, from 1997 to 2017. In the earlier phase their roles were secondary, often as the comedian. However, with the passage of time, the depiction evolves into more humane characters, showing a significantly more positive image of the transgender community. The study proposes that such image depiction on the electronic media helps create empathy for the third gender in the society.