Bacha Posh: A Centuries-Old Custom's New Relevance Under Taliban Rule

A video released by Afghanistan's Taliban rulers in early February depicted a 13-year-old girl dressed as a boy undergoing interrogation.

This incident highlights the ongoing practice of bacha posh (dressing like a boy) in Afghanistan, a custom that has existed for centuries and is now gaining new relevance under the Taliban's restrictive governance.

Reasons for Bacha Posh

Under the Taliban's rule, women are largely banned from most professions and public life, leading to significant economic hardship for families without male providers. The practice of bacha posh allows girls to:

• Provide for families: Girls disguised as boys can work and support their families, especially those lacking adult male relatives or facing extreme poverty. The United Nations estimates that 85% of Afghans struggle to survive.
• Act as male guardians: Taliban rules often prohibit women and girls from appearing in public without a male guardian (mahram). A bacha posh can fulfill this role, allowing female relatives to run errands and move more freely.
• Gain social status: In Afghan culture, sons are highly valued. Some families disguise daughters as sons to avoid social criticism and gain perceived status.

Impact and Challenges

While bacha posh offers some girls a temporary period of freedom to move and work in public spaces, the practice carries significant challenges:

• Psychological trauma: Girls often experience trauma when they reach puberty and can no longer maintain their disguise, struggling to conform to traditional feminine roles after years of male-associated freedom.
• Vulnerability to abuse: Bacha posh girls face risks including child labor and various forms of abuse, including sexual abuse, outside the home.

Experts, including Sahar Fetrat of Human Rights Watch, indicate that bacha poshi is likely persisting and increasing due to the Taliban's systematic subjugation of women and girls.

A mental health worker from western Afghanistan reported frequently encountering cases where mothers disguise daughters as boys for economic and social reasons. The Taliban have not commented on the specific video or the current state of the teenager involved.