Sworn to virginity and living as men in Albania

Qamile Stema, 88, a so-called sworn virgin, scolds relatives for not visiting her often enough. (Johan Spanner for The New York Times)

"Stripping off their sexuality by pledging to remain virgins was a way for these women in a male-dominated, segregated society to engage in public life," says Linda Gusia, a professor of gender studies at the University of Pristina in Kosovo. "It was about surviving in a world where men rule."