The Pros And Cons Of Bacha Posh Traditions

The debate on gender equality remains relevant throughout human history and exists today in many forms despite more progressive feminist movements in western pop culture. There are other places in the world where revolutions against patriarchy are less well-known, including the bacha posh in Afghanistan. The bacha posh tradition is an obvious practice for families without a son since it gives girls in the Afghan culture an opportunity to have more freedom as they also provide more stability for their families; however, there are negative psychological consequences to becoming a bacha posh that families do not think of when converting their daughters into sons. It is important to acknowledge both the pros and cons of this tradition for the sake …show more content…
In addition to creating a more stable family, allowing a girl to live as a bacha posh is a privilege since she can learn important characteristics that she would not otherwise know. One family “has sons in the family, but their mother wants to instill some strength in the girls by raising them as boys first” (Nordburg 133). This is a practical solution since the girls are allowed, as boys, to go out and play, cultivate social skills, and work if their families need the extra money. These freedoms are taken for granted in other parts of the world, but the only way for girls to get them in Afghanistan is to pose as boys. Many women wish for the freedoms that men have, and the only way mothers can give their daughters a taste of it is to raise them as boys. These moms did not have the opportunity to go out and play without a brother to escort them, but they can give that chance to their own children. Some of the mothers who did live as a bacha posh themselves became strong women, and took this carefully into consideration in deciding what they want for their own girls. The daughters who are not bacha posh do not get the same experiences and instead learn how to become good, obedient