In Afghanistan, a country ranked the worst in the world for women, a growing number of young girls are disguising themselves as the opposite sex. With short hair and baggy clothes, these girls transform from modest and demure young women into boys, allowing them access to education and work, alongside the other accompanying freedoms that come with being a man in Afghanistan’s patriarchal society.
The plight of girls in Afghanistan, and this cultural practise know as “Bacha Posh,” has recently been highlighted by digital platform, In the Now, with a new video circulating on Twitter and Facebook.
Many girls disguised as boys can be found in Afghan markets or schools. Some families disguise their daughters as boys so that they are able to work on the streets to feed their families.
However, when they turn 18, most Bacha Posh are expected to transition back to the path of a “proper” Afghan women - but this change is not so simple. Having become accustomed to the freedoms that come with being a man in Afghanistani society, the return to the repressive life of a woman - where one is constantly expected to be quiet and demure - poses a significant challenge to these young women.
The video has sparked discussion and debate across social media, with many condemning the Afghanistan’s patriarchal society and the restrictions it places on women.
We need to understand why #bachaposh is a practice to begin with; cultural practices are society's way to deal with difficult situations. https://t.co/8EMfAm18Dm
— Basma Al Nabulsi (@bnabulsi) October 26, 2016
My whole heart hurts for my country https://t.co/swpm8LcnJA
— sana سناء (@sanaxattie) October 26, 2016
With the Bacha Posh existing as a means to defy gender segregation and sexism in Afghanistan, this latest video has most certainly prompted necessary discussion and debate over women's rights in one of the world's poorest and most under-developed countries.
AM
