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Afghanistan's Dancing Boys

In a society where the sexes are strictly segregated, it is common for boys to dance for men at weddings and traditional gatherings. But the tradition exposes the boys to sexual abuse.

"Bacha" is a term for a teenage boy who dresses up as a girl and dances for men at parties in Afghanistan.

In a society where the sexes are strictly segregated, it is common for boys to dance for men at weddings and traditional gatherings.

However, it is what happens after the party that is the most disturbing. Many of the boys, some as young as 12 years old, are taken to hotels and sexually abused - sometimes by several men.

This is a practice that is dramatically at odds with the kind of society that the country's Western partners hope to encourage but - according to some reports - it is also a phenomenon that is growing.

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25 minutes

Last on

Sun 27 Mar 201103:05GMT

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  • Wed 23 Mar 201115:05GMT
  • Thu 24 Mar 201101:05GMT
  • Sun 27 Mar 201103:05GMT