In Afghanistan, a disturbing practice known as “bacha bazi” continues to plague society as young boys, often pre-pubescent, are forced to dance for affluent Afghan men who subsequently sexually abuse them.
These children, sometimes sold by impoverished families, are made to wear make-up and perform at gatherings.
The practice, dating back to the 13th century, has persisted despite various regime changes. While the Taliban initially banned it during their first rule in the 1990s, the practice flourished again after the 2001 US invasion.
Following America’s withdrawal in 2021, it has become endemic, particularly in Pashtun tribal areas where estimates suggest half the men participate.
“I love my lord. I love to dance and act like a woman and play with my owner. Once I grow up, I will be an owner and I will have my own boys,” Ahmad, then 17, told to news agency Reuters in 2007, demonstrating how victims are groomed to accept their exploitation.
The consequences for victims are severe. Beyond psychological trauma, they suffer serious physical injuries including internal bleeding, broken limbs, and sometimes death. When they mature, these boys often become social outcasts, turning to drugs or becoming exploiters themselves.
The practice persists despite homosexuality being punishable by death in Afghanistan.
According to Daily Mail, in 2024, the EU Agency for Asylum claimed: “Afghan security forces, in particular the Afghan Local Police, reportedly recruited boys specifically to use them for bacha bazi in every province of the country.’
The contradiction exists because many Afghans consider it culturally acceptable, particularly in conservative religious groups. According to a 2009 Human Terrain Team study, some Pashtun social norms don’t view bacha bazi as un-Islamic or homosexual.
Western forces encountered this reality during their deployment. Lance Corporal Gregory Buckley Jr’s father revealed his son’s distressing experience: “At night we can hear them screaming, but we’re not allowed to do anything about it,” the marine told his father, being instructed to ignore it as “their culture.”
The Taliban has exploited this situation, using child prostitutes to infiltrate military bases and attack Afghan forces working with Americans. In 2016, numerous soldiers and policemen were killed through such honeytrap operations.
Despite Afghanistan introducing laws in 2018 to punish those involved in Bacha bazi, the practice continues unabated under current Taliban rule. The situation is exacerbated by strict gender segregation and women’s rights restrictions under Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada’s leadership.
The international community’s departure has left these vulnerable boys without protection, perpetuating a cycle of abuse that remains deeply embedded in certain aspects of Afghan society.
This represents a tragic failure of international intervention, leaving countless children exposed to ongoing exploitation and abuse.
