There are no statistics about how many Afghan girls masquerade as boys. But when asked, Afghans of several generations can often tell a story of a female relative, friend, neighbor or co-worker who grew up disguised as a boy. To those who know, these children are often referred to as neither “daughter” nor “son” in conversation, but as “bacha posh,” which literally means “dressed up as a boy” in Dari.
Through dozens of interviews conducted over several months, where many people wanted to remain anonymous or to use only first names for fear of exposing their families, it was possible to trace a practice that has remained mostly obscured to outsiders. Yet it cuts across class, education, ethnicity and geography, and has endured even through Afghanistan’s many wars and governments.
Katie Day on 10 Mar 11A blog post/review of: "Once Upon a Wartime, an exhibition which opened earlier this month at London's Imperial War Museum, takes five children's novels about war and conflict and uses them as a starting point to explore what war can mean for children." Carrie's War, War Horse, The Machine Gunners, The Silver Sword, and Little Soldier. Shows photos of what is in the exhibit.... Useful if you teach any of the books....
