foreign [Music] [Music] deep in the Albanian Alps a centuries-old tradition still exists under ancient law women had fewer rights some sworn oath of celibacy and lived as men I wanted to find out more about the private world of Albania's sworn virgins [Music] um foreign [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] choices were limited their path mapped out by the men around them Dooney sees her choice as liberating but I wanted to know did other sworn virgins feel the same [Music] foreign [Music] for drunder adopting the practice was a way to enjoy the Liberties of men such as smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol Elements which are ingrained in the burnished tradition Al [Music] terms of I guess foreign you made your decision at quite a young age have you ever had any regrets [Music] is [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] foreign [Music] [Music] thank you foreign try to understand more motion I went to visit a banesha called Lally in the coastal town of duros foreign foreign [Music] foreign [Music] there are only 12 remaining sworn virgins in the world the burnishat as they're known can trace their history back centuries the territory [Music] vendors bison [Music] is sacrifices [Music] Familia foreign [Music] problem [Music] is personal foreign so what does the end of this tradition mean for women in Albania I came to Tirana Albania's capital to meet with dooney's niece valeriana she's decided against becoming a sworn virgin foreign [Music] thank you Amazon concrete instead of becoming a sworn virgin valeriana has decided to document the end of the tradition [Music] s [Music] there's the there's [Music] tradition is very different to what it once was back then for some women it was a way to live life on their own terms we can only wonder if today they would make the same choice [Music] [Music] [Music] foreign [Music] foreign [Music]