“Sworn virgins” (burrneshas in Albanian) are Albanian women
who decide to ignore their female identity and live as men in the
Balkans. Photographer Jill Peters traveled to Northern Albania to meet
and photograph these women. The decision to live as men is more related
to gender roles in the Albanian culture rather than a statement of
sexuality; these women live their lives appearing as men.
Sworn virgins have existed for centuries. According to tradition
dating back to the 15th century developed out of the Kanun, a tribal
code of law, tribal clans from the Balkans considered families without a
male presence as pariahs. When blood feuds decimated all the men in a
family, the only way to salvage their honor was for a woman to become
the patriarch of the clan and start acting like a man.
“Becoming a sworn virgin or burrnesha elevated a woman to the status of a man and granted her all the rights and privileges of the male population,” Peters writes.
“In order to manifest the transition, such a woman cut her hair, donned
male clothing and sometimes even changed her name. … Most importantly
of all, she took a celibacy vow to remain chaste for life.”
Despite the fact that the sworn virgins never marry or have children,
“None of them had regrets,” Peters said of the women she spoke to.
“They’re very proud of their families, of their nephews and nieces.” And
as long as they live an honorable life, they’re respected and treated
as important members of society.
Albania has made some progress
when it comes to women’s rights, but some small towns haven’t fully
transitioned into modernity yet. In some villages, women still can’t
drive or work and are expected to wear gender-specific attire. Their
families choose men for them to marry and it is culturally appropriate
that they care for their husband and children. For many years, the only
way to escape the rigid structures of society was to choose not to live
as a female.
While sworn virgins were a common fixture historically, in the
current era, the population is dwindling. There could be as few as 30 burrneshas left in small villages, and younger ones are considered “less authentic” now that it’s easier for women to be independent.
Those who’ve already pledged to be sworn virgins won’t change their
minds, however. “A woman could become the president of Albania and they
would still remain living as men,” Peters said.
You can watch the trailer for Peters’ documentary on sworn virgins “He/She/He” here.
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