Afghan tradition allows girls to access the freedom of boys
By MSTYSLAV CHERNOV and ELENA BECATOROS
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — In the heavily patriarchal, male-dominated society of Afghanistan, where women and girls are usually relegated to the home, there is one tradition which allows girls access to the male world: bacha posh. A girl dresses, behaves and is treated as a boy, allowing her to play and _ crucially for her family _ to work as a boy would be able to do. But once they reach puberty, the girls are expected to switch back to their traditional gender roles, a transition that isn’t always easy. And with the Taliban now running the country and cracking down on women’s rights, the male world could be even more enticing to some.
