Journalist:  Dan Bilefsky
Date:  June 25, 2008
Relevance:  gender issues on a global level
Summary:   For centuries, in the closed off northern part of Albania, swapping genders for those families that had a shortage of men was considered a practical solution.  Women would be sworn virgins and assume the role of a man.  After the fall of the Berlin wall, modernization has come to Albania and girls no longer want to play such a role.  Many women who assumed this role enjoyed it because they were treated as males with all of the privileges that are given to men.  This article traces the history of this practice in this primarily Muslim country.
Questions:
1.  Is it surprising that these women were able to do this in such a male-dominated culture?  Do you think this was done solely out of necessity to care for the family?
2.  What did you learn or find most interesting from this article?
Here is a link to the article.