‘Sworn virgins’ are women, mostly in Northern Albania, that take on a lifelong oath of celibacy in order to receive social rights to live as men. These women remain unmarried and abstain from sex, which allows them to be recognized as men in society and enables them to take on jobs that are usually performed by men. While earning their livelihood by working on labor-intensive jobs or even socially well-respected jobs such as politicians, they are recognized and treated like men by people in their local surrounding.
Thus, sworn virgins are forced to forsake love for societal respect and certain privileges reserved for men. The practice of becoming ‘sworn virgins’ came into existence several centuries ago when a women was forced to take on the role of heading the family, in the event of a male patriarchal head passing away without leaving behind a worthy male heir. This is because the Kanun laws governing the region had prohibited women from voting, owing property, working most jobs and even entering certain public facilities.
Hence, in order to carry out the gender role of men, women were forced to wear men’s clothing and act like men. On certain instances, women became sworn virgins in order to elude forced arranged marriages without offending the honor of the would-be groom’s family. Some women become sworn virgins late in life to inherit their family fortunes or to escape unhappy marriages. As a lot of emphasis is given to family honor in Albanian society, sworn virgins have to be able to act masculine and coarse during family disputes.
However, they are also expected to dress, behave and talk like men in social settings. They would have to cut their hair short, wear loose-fitting men’s clothes and imitate men’s body language. However, sex-change surgery and other medical practices to change gender is not something widely practiced in these regions. It would be difficult for an outsider to identify a sworn virgin, especially the elderly ones, as their body language and appearance is quite similar to that on an elderly gentleman.
Even though the locals know that a sworn virgin is actually a woman, they would have to behave and talk to her as if she were a man. This is mainly because sworn virgins prefer being treated and addressed to as men, as the change of gender roles is a personal choice rather than a societal compulsion. Thus, clothing and social conduct essentially dictate gender roles and the corresponding socioeconomic freedom. For instance, ‘sworn virgins’ are treated with the same respect as men in social ceremonies such as marriages.
The term ‘lesbian’ in today’s context is usually used to refer to a woman who is sexually attracted to individuals belonging to the same gender. Until the early part of the twentieth century, the term ‘lesbian’ was usually used to indicate masculine women. Even women who were not sexually attracted towards other women were categorized as lesbians during that time, since their need for freedom from sexual and societal repression propelled them to don men’s clothes and claim equal rights. In Albanian culture, homosexuality in women was mostly not even recognized as a possible means of experiencing sexual pleasure.
Thus, in the Albanian context, the emphasis on homosexual orientation is less pronounced as ‘sworn virgins’ are more inclined towards receiving the same social status as men (Young 59). While it has been accepted that inherent same-sex inclinations may have acted upon many sworn virgins’ lifestyle choices, their gestures and innuendos directed towards other women could rather perceived as an attempt by sworn virgins to imitate men’s behavior.
Works Cited Page Young, Antonia. (2001). Women Who Become Men: Albanian Sworn Virgins. Berg Publishers.