I Am a Bacha Posh

My Life as a Woman Living as a Man in Afghanistan

“A beautiful, fascinating tale about a little-known tradition that provides a snapshot of Pashtun village life in Afghanistan . . . Enthralling” (Laura Kasinof, author of Don’t Be Afraid of the Bullets).

You will be a son, my daughter.

With these stunning words Ukmina Manoori learned that she was to spend her childhood as a bacha posh—literally “girls dressed as boys.” It is a long-standing Afghan tradition that allows families the freedom to allow their child to shop and work—and in some cases, it saves them from the disgrace of not having a male heir. But when they reach adolescence, religious dogma asserts itself: the girls must marry, bear children, and give up their freedom.

Unwilling to do so, Ukmina courageously defied societal and familial pressure by continuing to wear men’s clothing—a choice that paved the way for an extraordinary destiny in which she would wage war against the Soviets, assist the mujahideen, and even become one of the elected council members of her province. But the freedom of being “Ukmina warrior” cost her a life as a woman.

This astounding memoir is a “wonderfully rich introduction to an uncommon (but by no means rare) Afghan tradition” that will challenge your perceptions about gender and the courage it takes to live your life to the fullest (Thomas Barfield, author of Afghanistan: A Cultural and Political History).