I was passed this article by Caroline. The subject here is a group of women who live in the villages of northern Albania, who are known as “burneshas.” The women did this to escape male-dominated tribal codes which mandate that women are nothing more than the property of their husbands.

Their lives have been documented in a photoproject called Sworn Virgins of Albania, by photographer Jill Peters. There are more photographs at the link below.

Portraits of Albanian Women Who Have Lived Their Lives As Men.