Bacha Posh News Today

Here’s a look at how the lives of three Afghan women have changed since the Taliban came to power in August last year.

Denying women and girls their rights builds on social restrictions already in place before the Taliban's rise to power. Some girls, however, circumvent the rules by living as boys, a practice known as "bacha posh."

In the heavily patriarchal, male-dominated society of Afghanistan, where women and girls are usually relegated to the home, there is one tradition which allows girls access to the male world -- bacha posh.

“Being a man is better than being a woman,” said Najieh, wiping tears from her eye. “It is very hard for me. ... If I were a man, I could be a teacher in a school.”