Nations, like Albania, still employ laws set during ancient times. These laws are sexist, abusive, and unfair to its citizens, especially women. In “Sex Trafficking: inside the business of modern slavery,” written by Siddarth Kara, he explains that Albanians are still ruled by the Code of Lekë Dukagjini, which was written in the 1400s, by Kanun I Lekë Dukagjinit. It’s laws are based on honor. This, however, is biased against women, who according to this law, are subordinate to men. The code states, “The blood of a woman is not equal to the blood of a man. A woman is known as a sack, made to endure.”
This code makes life extremely difficult for females. Kara, states the code “renders life extremely difficult for unmarried women.” (Kara, 7) He goes on to say that in some cases, family members sell each other as sex slaves, as was the case with Pira, a former sex slave. He writes, “A former sex slave named Pira told me that the night she was married, her husband sold her to the owners of a sex club, where she was forced to have sex with hundreds of men before she escaped.” (Kara, 7) This code accentuates the roles of males and females in rural Alabania. A wife’s duties to her husband primarily center around complying to his demands, and fulfill her marital duties. An article in The International Herald Tribune depicts women’s roles as caring for the children and maintaining the home, along with all the other conjugal duties she must face. (Bilefsky, 2008) Whereas, the husband’s only duty to his wife is to provide clothing and shoes and to preserve her honor. The wife, by no means, may complain to her husband about her responsibilities. Furthermore, if her husband wishes to divorce her, he has the right to cut off her hair, strip her nude and take her away from her relatives, expelling her from her village with a whip. This form of abuse is seen in Albania and women endure this type of injustice to this day, all because of an ancient, cruel code. Through the years, though, the code has lost some influence. Life is not structured around this code as strictly as it once was. The code is almost nonexistent in developed cities, but that is not the case in the rural communities.
The struggle these women face is so brutal and excrutiating that one of the options the Code of Lekë Dukagjini gives women in order to liberate themselves from the oppression of marrying, is to undergo a sex change, and swear an eternal oath of celibacy. With this promise, these women, now converted men, can live their lives and rule their families as males. It is unfortunate, however, that they have to surrender being who they are and take on completely new lives, just because society dictates it.
In order for rural Albanians to move away from this lifestyle they should observe their neighbors of the developed cities. With their influence they might be able to organize and unite to put an end to this vile code. I strongly believe that once they begin to organize and make strides to bring about change, other nations and humanitarian organizations will jump in to join their fight to bring justice to all members of the community and not just a select few. It is encouraging to see major news outlets, like The International Herald Tribune, a member of The New York Times Media Group, making room in their publication to shed light on this issue. The more people know about this issue, the more influence the people of Albania will have, since they will have the backing of the international community.
links: http://heinonline.org/HOL/Page?handle=hein.journals/eccc14&div=15&g_sent=1&collection=journals
http://www.mapsofworld.com/images/world-countries-flags/albania-flag.gif
http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=WWb-wx1gjLwC&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=sex+trafficking:+in+the+business+of+modern+slavery&ots=Rx5Gs7wOIj&sig=J_V5RabvqBOCOA6K9z6gbb55BxE#v=onepage&q=sex%20trafficking%3A%20in%20the%20business%20of%20modern%20slavery&f=false
Most societies at some level have this unbalance of power with women being the usual victims. If the word feminist didn't conjure such thoughts as bias one sided women then maybe people would pay more attention to serious problems like the ones in rural areas of poor countries like Albania.
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ReplyDeleteAna,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your post and concern about Albanian women. While the nation's rapid growth is improving the lives of women throughout, a dedicated person like you can do as much to help her peers in Albania. For you to be able to do so, however, I'll have to call out on the authorities you have relied on for information one the Code of Lekë Dukagjini (also known as the Kanun).
The Code, as documented, provides severe punishments against sex slavery. As a result, the phenomenon was virtually inexistent in the traditional society. However, as the Code is no longer a formal law, much of the evil you point out has begun to take place. For purely political reasons, the previous communist dictatorship replaced the Code and unduly stigmatized it. Yet, it was the communists oppressed any notion of liberty and dignity, including sexual integrity.
Today, the consequences remain even after Albania's return to democracy. The institutions, judges, and scholars who served as the former masters and guardians of the Kanun are no longer available in the modern state. The Kanun is now an ill-defined tradition that is often misinterpreted, out of ignorance or maliciousness. Yet, only an approach that--unlike the laws of the communist regime--respects the nation's tradition can have a meaningful effect. Therefore, enthusiasts, whether foreign of Albanian, must pay greater, and unbiased, attention to the Kanun. Instead of being blamed for promoting what it actually suppresses, this currently ineffective law should be revived and adapted to our modern needs.
Best wishes,
Getoar