International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research

E-ISSN: 2582-2160   •   Impact Factor: 9.24

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Bacha Posh: A Cultural Practice of Gender Transformation in Afghan Society

Author(s) Mr. Pawan Kumar, Dr. Rekha Rani
Country India
Abstract Bacha Posh, in which a biological girl is raised as a boy, stems from Afghan society's strong patriarchal structure, where masculinity is connected with power, honour, and social validity and femininity with domesticity and dependence. Bacha Posh, rooted in strong son preference, economic hardship, and stringent gender norms, is a culturally sanctioned solution to the social stigma of households without male children. This paper studies Bacha Posh as a cultural norm and a contradictory process that breaks and supports gender inequalities.

The study uses feminist theory, cultural anthropology, and child-rights rhetoric to examine how Bacha Posh reveals gender as performative while maintaining patriarchal dominance. The research uses Judith Butler's gender performativity theory to show that Afghan gender identity is shaped by social recognition, behaviour, and appearance rather than biology. The mandatory reversal of masculine identity at puberty inhibits gender flexibility and individual agency.

The study examines Bacha Posh's ethical consequences for childhood, consent, and autonomy. Cultural adaptation and universal child rights conflict because to the lack of informed consent, the instrumentalization of children for household survival, and the psychological anguish of gender reversal. The data imply Bacha Posh is a structural inequality-driven survival strategy rather than empowerment or opposition. The continuance of this practice highlights the need for comprehensive social, educational, and institutional reforms that respect girls as independent persons rather than transitory substitutes for male power.
Keywords Bacha Posh, Afghan culture, gender transformation, patriarchy, gender performativity
Field Arts
Published In Volume 7, Issue 6, November-December 2025
Published On 2025-12-30
DOI https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2025.v07i06.65047
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