Nurturing Masculinity, Resisting Patriarchy: An Ethnographic Account of Four Women's Folk Songs from Northeastern Afghanistan

Western literature has presented the condition of Afghan women as either empowered or helpless. Their stories have been overlooked, romanticized, or seen as an outcome of tribalism, patriarchy, and war. Women's ability to articulate their personal experiences, grief, happiness, gender roles, and capacity to imagine an alternative has been missing. This article argues that through their folk songs women in northeastern Afghanistan criticize the behavior of husbands in their families while supporting their brothers, fathers, and sons. These women nurture and dismantle masculinity to their advantage. In singing space, women support but also bargain with patriarchy. The article concludes with recommendations for future research.