What is a chai boy?

Afghanistan’s mujahideen warlords, who fought off the Soviet invasion and instigated a civil war in the 1980s, regularly engaged in acts of pedophilia. Keeping one or more “chai boys,” as these male conscripts are called, for personal servitude and sexual pleasure became a symbol of power and social status.

Is bacha bazi still practiced?

In the 21st century, bacha bazi is practiced in various parts of Afghanistan and Northwestern Pakistan. Force and coercion are common, and security officials state they are unable to end such practices and that many of the men involved in bacha bazi are powerful and well-armed warlords.

What are the causes of bacha bazi?

The spread and expansion of Bacha Bazi in Afghanistan has several factors and causes, such as lack of rule of law and corruption, ambiguity and gaps in the law, limited access to justice, poverty, insecurity, and existence of irresponsible armed groups has contributed to the spread of these phenomena which is discussed …

How many wives can a man have in Afghanistan?

four wives
The Republic of Afghanistan, which is an Islamic Republic under Sharia Law, allows for polygyny. Afghan men may take up to four wives, as Islam allows for such. A man must treat all of his wives equally; however, it has been reported that these regulations are rarely followed.

Is child marriage legal in Afghanistan?

Child marriages are illegal but widespread in Afghanistan. Afghanistan’s minimum age of marriage for girls is 16 or 15 well below the internationally recommended standard of 18.

Is bacha bazi illegal?

Despite bacha bazi being illegal under Afghan law, authorities are unable to end the practice because many of those involved are influential men. To these men, keeping a “bacha baireesh”, or “boy without beard”, is a sign of power and high social status.

What is a Afghan tea boy?

August 18, 2017. Bacha bazi, or ‘boy play’, is an Afghan custom that involves boys as young as nine being forced to dress as women and to dance seductively for an audience of older men. These young boys are typically owned by wealthy patrons, and are regularly the victims of sexual assault and abuse.

Can a woman have two husbands?

polyandry, marriage of a woman to two or more men at the same time; the term derives from the Greek polys, “many,” and anēr, andros, “man.” When the husbands in a polyandrous marriage are brothers or are said to be brothers, the institution is called adelphic, or fraternal, polyandry.

What age can a girl get married in Afghanistan?

sixteen
The Afghan Civil Law sets the minimum age for marriage at sixteen for girls and at eighteen for boys. A fifteen-year-old girl may however marry with their father’s approval or with a positive ruling from the competent court. Marriage of girls under fifteen is not allowed under any circumstances.

How many wives can Afghanistan have?

Who created bacha bazi?

But in 2017, two Americans attempted something unconventional. Lyricist Charlie Sohne and composer Tim Rosser created a musical about a subject even Afghans would consider too sensitive and unsettling – “bacha bazi” or “boy play”.