“When one gender is so unwanted, so despised, and so suppressed in a place where daughters are expressly unwanted, perhaps both the body and the mind of a growing human can be expected to revolt against becoming a woman. And thus, perhaps, alter someone for good.”
The idea of gender in traditional cultures of Afghanistan and Pakistan is still one that lauds the birth of boys over girls. The practice of bacha posh was birthed from the societal pressure for households to have a son who can pass on the family name. As such, women trading their gender comes from this deeply ingrained feeling of being unwanted by society that they prefer to be boys. While the younger daughters might be required by parents, some past puberty choose to maintain the gender identity onwards. This form of rebellion can be associated with the sense of alienation that women harbor if they dress and identify as female. For instance, Nordberg points out the category in the WHO index that recognizes identity disorder from prolonged segregation and suppression. Zahra is an example of a teenage girl choosing to remain a bacha posh despite reaching puberty—the cutoff point of the practice. Moreover, the inner revolt can be observed through Shukria who got divorced due to the inability to don the female gender facets.
“Regardless of who they are, whether they are rich or poor, educated or illiterate, Afghan women often describe the difference between men and women in just one word: freedom. As in: Men have it, women do not.”
In the Western culture, the differentiation in gender groups is mostly tied to attributes and socioeconomic factors that blur the lines between genders. That said, gender inequity is still much of a problem in society but in Afghanistan, the imbalance is still large in scale. Afghan people distinguish their men by the freedom and independence they have in contrast to the lack of autonomy for women. The practice is the only opportunity girls have to experience the liberty that comes with being born a man in such a society. Case in point, Azita, a former member of parliament in Afghanistan, asserts that she found power and courage from the bacha posh practice. As such, she raises her daughter Mehran in the same way to allow her to assume the same freedom and confidence as her male counterparts.
“Being born with power, as a boy, doesn’t necessarily spur innovation. But being born entirely without it forces innovation in women, who must learn to survive almost from the moment they are born. Afghan women do not need much well-intentioned training on that.”
The solution in a patriarchal society is usually empowering women and advocating for freedom and the same rights for every individual. However, when the rule of law and social codes restrict such liberty, the oppressed groups have to find means to cope and survive. In mainstream media, women from strict and highly patriarchal societies are typically portrayed as barely empowered and lacking confidence. However, suppressed groups can be socially empowered through innovative ways yet the rule of law still denies expression and freedom. As Nordberg proves, it is not simply about teaching the women of empowerment since the impossible system has already spurred in them ways to cope and find power. Through bacha posh, women have managed to nurture power and go on to exhibit the same self-confidence in adulthood and careers.
