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CONFERENCE PROGRAM AND ICGCS 2021

ABSTRACT BOOK

Gender, Language and Literature

Bacha Posh: a Cultural Practice in Afghanistan as Seen in Nadia

Hashimi's The Pearl That Broke Its Shell: Resilience against

Patriarchy

Seswita
Universitas Andalas

This article aims to explore one of the cultural practices in Afganistan called Bacha Posh, as
found in Nadia Hashimi's The Pearl That Broke Its Shell. Bacha Posh is a cultural

phenomenon where a young girl is dressed and raised as a boy until she reaches a

marriageable age or puberty by a family with no sons for the sake of a better future. The

author presents two female characters that follow this tradition to survive and get a proper

life in the family. This research depicts how the practice (Bacha Posh) is claimed to save a

daughter in a family from the perspective of Patriarchy and its impact on the psychological

side.

The article then presents a brief overview of Patriarchy's restraint in Afghanistan, which later

evoked this practice (Bacha Posh) to be well-known in society. This article focuses more on

gender and identity, which relate to the psychological issue within the main female

characters. The psychology of gender and women has been investigated in many specific
areas. In this case, it will discuss how the phenomena of Bacha Posh affected the

psychology of the female characters represented by the two female characters, Rahima and

Syeqiba. This phenomenon happens in Afghanistan in which girls are dressed and raised as

boys in order to get a better life. This research concludes that Bacha Posh in this novel gives

better opportunities for the female characters' lives socially and psychologically by leading

them into modern and intelligent women in their era. By following this cultural tradition,

Rahima can pursue her dreams to be a politician. She managed to be chosen as a member

of parliament due to her experience at school during childhood. This article also depicts the

ideology behind the Bacha Posh by showing its positive impact, which gives the girls the

opportunity to support the family income by having a job, having a long-term chance at

school, and pursuing their dreams for a better life.

Keywords: Afghanistan, Bacha Posh, cultural phenomena, feminist-psychology,

gender, Patriarchy.

Short Biography:

Rima Devi is Assistant Professor at the Japanese Department, Faculty of Humanities Universitas Andalas.
She completed her graduate studies (doctoral) at the Literature Program, Faculty of Humanities
Universitas Indonesia in 2015. Her research focuses on family and family change in literature. She

published a book entitles ‘Keluarga Interdependen Dalam Karya Ogawa Yoko’ in 2017.

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