Main content
I Dressed as a Boy to go to School
To overcome the Taliban's ban on girls' education, Zahra disguised herself for six years
Zahra Joya dressed as a boy for six years so she could go to school in Afghanistan during Taliban rule. Her young uncle, also a pupil, came up with the idea and Zahra persuaded her mother and grandfather to give it a go. So she exchanged her headscarf for a button-up shirt and woollen blazer and got an education. (Picture credit: Zahra Joya.)
Podcast
-
![]()
The Outlook Podcast Archive
True stories of ordinary people and the extraordinary events that have shaped their lives
