Female Husbands

Female Husbands is a term used within Africa to describe AFAB people who take up the role of men, live out the life of men, and behave and dress in a masculine mannerism socially. This is done within societies where women do not have inheritance rights, and the family is without a son to give there inheritance to. Female husbands have the right to attend male initiation sites and meetings.

Female husbands are to marry a woman (or in the case of rich families, marry multiple women.) Usually a relative of the female husband is appointed to conceive male offspring, on the condition that the sperm donor does not acquire any rights or control over the inheritance. The children refer to the female husband as "father."

Female husbands are expected not to have sex with men, as a female husband becoming pregnant would cause them to lose their masculine role. The wife of a female husband is allowed to have sexual relations with any man of their choosing.

This role holds similarities to bacha posh and sworn virgins.