Afghan Boys Are Prized, So Girls Live the Part

Afghan families have many reasons for pretending their girls are boys, including economic need, social pressure to have sons, and in some cases, a superstition that doing so can lead to the birth of a real boy. Lacking a son, the parents decide to make one up, usually by cutting the hair of a daughter and dressing her in typical Afghan men’s clothing.

Published: Sep 20, 2010
Length: 16 minutes (4,086 words)
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