The Sworn Virgins of Albania - Women Who Become Men

Throughout modern history, the women of the remote mountains of northern Albania, like anywhere else, have had very few rights. They cannot vote, hold certain kinds of jobs, buy land or enter many establishments. They can’t inherit property, conduct business or earn money, smoke, wear a watch or even swear out loud. These ancient laws and social customs, called Kanun of Leke Dukagjini, has been passed on orally among the clans of northern Albania for more than five centuries. It still governs the region.