{"id":28854,"date":"2026-03-03T06:21:14","date_gmt":"2026-03-03T06:21:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/?p=28854"},"modified":"2026-03-03T09:42:16","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T09:42:16","slug":"a-home-without-son-is-incomplete-stories-of-girls-who-face-discrimination","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/2026\/03\/a-home-without-son-is-incomplete-stories-of-girls-who-face-discrimination\/","title":{"rendered":"A home without son is incomplete; stories of girls who face discrimination"},"content":{"rendered":"

In families without sons, girls not only carry heavy economic and social responsibilities but also face humiliation, family blame, and psychological pressure. This is what Salam Watandar found after interviewing 36 girls from 10 provinces in Afghanistan. The study shows that humiliation, reproach, and psychological stress aimed at girls without brothers have become a recurring pattern in Afghan culture.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The girls, from Kabul, Faryab, Kunduz, Badghis, Kunar, Herat, Ghor, Badakhshan, Jawzjan, and Parwan, shared their experiences with Salam Watandar. Most said that not having a brother weakened their position both in the family and in society, leaving them feeling less valuable.<\/p>\n

Family; the root of gender discrimination<\/strong><\/p>\n

Many girls said their first experiences of humiliation came from within their own families, especially those who had no brothers. Khadija Qambari, 26-year-old from Herat, the eldest child in her family, spoke about the gender discrimination her father showed toward her sister years ago.<\/p>\n

She says, \u201cAfter I was born, another daughter was born into our family, but unfortunately my father abandoned her because she was a girl. My mother was told that the child had died, but years later, my father admitted the truth himself.\u201d<\/p>\n

Najla, 25-year-old from Faryab, recalls how humiliation and disappointment began in her paternal family. She says, \u201cMy parents often say, \u2018We wish one of you\u2014or even all three of you\u2014had been boys.\u2019 My father argues with my mother about why she gave birth to a daughter. I have faced humiliation from my family, been blamed by my father, and often told that a daughter belongs to others\u2014meaning she will go to her husband\u2019s house once married.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among the 36 girls, most said they had been blamed at least once\u2014directly or indirectly\u2014for not having a brother. Some also reported that their mothers were criticized for giving birth to a daughter.<\/p>\n

Studies by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) on \u201cson preference\u201d in South Asia (2020) show that these attitudes are rooted in patriarchal structures linking economic and social value to gender.<\/p>\n

Pressure from relatives and social stigma<\/strong><\/p>\n

Discrimination against girls without brothers does not stop at the household; it often structurally continues among relatives.<\/p>\n

Shukrana, a 17-year-old from Kunduz, talks about the humiliating behavior of her relatives. She says, \u201cMy aunt and uncle don\u2019t care about us; they curse us, saying, \u2018What use is a daughter? A son protects the family.\u2019 My uncle\u2019s daughters also say, \u2018You have no brothers, so how long will you stay in your father\u2019s house? Who will protect you? If you had a brother, he would work and provide for your food and other expenses.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

At family gatherings, girls often hear phrases like, \u201cA house without a son is incomplete\u201d or \u201cIt\u2019s the son who protects the family.\u201d While some comments may be intended jokingly, psychologists warn that they can have lasting negative effects on self-esteem.<\/p>\n

Chaman, a 35-year-old from Faryab, talks about the impact of this behavior on herself. She says, \u201cThese words have had a negative effect on my mental health. Hearing phrases like \u2018A house without a son is not a house, it\u2019s like a dark house\u2019 makes us feel worthless and even fills us with anger.\u201d<\/p>\n

Missing opportunities due to the absence of a male companion<\/strong><\/p>\n

Finding shows that girls without brothers often miss certain work or social opportunities. Marwa, 26-year-old from Faryab, says, \u201cWe\u2019ve lost opportunities simply because we don\u2019t have a male companion. People\u2019s behavior is hurtful; sometimes they say, \u2018You wish you had a son,\u2019 or make sarcastic jokes. Because there is no son, our worth is considered less. Neighbors often say a house without a son is incomplete.\u201d<\/p>\n

Some of these girls said that when handling administrative tasks, following up on documents, or resolving financial issues, they have faced both formal and informal restrictions.<\/p>\n

Sara, 25-year-old resident of Kunar, explains, \u201cImportant household decisions and external work fall entirely on women. Going to offices, managing documents, handling finances\u2014 because of social restrictions, I cannot carry out these tasks easily.\u201d<\/p>\n

Girls without brothers share experiences of discrimination and humiliation, while experts warn of the serious consequences. Psychologists explain that such treatment within families can undermine girls\u2019 self-esteem and leave them feeling worthless, cautioning about its long-term effects.<\/p>\n

Mohammadullah Baloch, a psychologist, says, \u201cLow self-esteem, neglect of one\u2019s own worth, stress, social anxiety, and psychological insecurity arise when discrimination raises. Families need to raise awareness about harmful cultural norms affecting daughters. Professional training\u2014work skills, social behavior, and counseling\u2014can prevent these effects. Finally families should support their daughters.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shoaib Ahmadi, a sociologist, says, \u201cRestrictions on girls disrupt both families and society and affect the next generation.\u201d He emphasizes the importance of creating awareness and educational programs about the role of women in society.<\/p>\n

\u201cToday\u2019s daughter is tomorrow\u2019s mother. If she faces such pressures, lacks independence, and struggles with challenges, the next generation she raises will also be affected. This can create social problems and even disrupt the family system. Governments should develop programs to raise awareness about the role of women in society, informing both women and the public so they are better understood.\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Women\u2019s rights activists stress the importance of raising awareness among families and add that, to empower girls, educational opportunities must be provided so they can challenge prevailing social norms and family attitudes.<\/p>\n

Husna Raufi, a women\u2019s rights activist, says, \u201cFirst, families without sons need to understand the value of daughters in Islam and in society. Second, the importance of girls should be promoted through the media. Third, support means ensuring that girls have access to education and work so their minds are enlightened, they are not a burden on their families, and they help broaden their families\u2019 perspectives. In this way, each generation that grows up will be open-minded and will recognize the equal value of women and men.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, officials at the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice of the Islamic Emirate emphasize that women\u2019s rights are protected and that support is available. They say that if women face restrictions or any form of discrimination, various authorities at the provincial, district, and local levels are available to provide guidance and assistance.<\/p>\n

Saif-ul-Islam Khyber, spokesperson for the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice, told Salam Watandar,<\/p>\n

\u201cRegarding professional responsibilities, especially in protecting women\u2019s rights, all cases are covered. If a woman feels undervalued, is treated with disregard in her family, or faces problems because she has no children, these issues fall under the ministry\u2019s responsibility and must not be ignored. Women encountering such problems in their province, district, or local area should report them to officials of the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice.\u201d<\/p>\n

The absence of a brother in a family is not merely an individual or household issue; it is part of a broader cultural and social phenomenon that exposes girls to psychological, social, and familial pressures.<\/p>\n

Reporter: Hosai Afghan<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chaman, a 35-year-old from Faryab, talks about the impact of this behavior on herself. She says, \u201cThese words have had a negative effect on my mental health. Hearing phrases like \u2018A house without a son is not a house, it\u2019s like a dark house\u2019 makes us feel worthless and even fills us with anger.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":28855,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[990,9,186,977,24],"tags":[163,1467,1598,1600],"class_list":["post-28854","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest","category-soceity","category-investigative-reports","category-women-rights","category-women","tag-girls","tag-discrimination","tag-a-home-without-a-son","tag-son"],"views":33,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28854","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28854"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28854\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28880,"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28854\/revisions\/28880"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28855"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28854"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28854"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swn.af\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28854"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}