How the third gender appeared on a distant island: Why boys are raised on the Most as girls
How the third gender appeared on a distant island: Why boys are raised on the Most as girls

Video: How the third gender appeared on a distant island: Why boys are raised on the Most as girls

Video: How the third gender appeared on a distant island: Why boys are raised on the Most as girls
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In the island nation of Samoa, there are no mere men and women. There is also a third gender in this country - faafafine. This is the name of boys (physically) who were raised as girls in such a way that they began to perceive themselves as women. Such people usually do all the female household chores and end up marrying another man.

Faafafine competition in Samoa
Faafafine competition in Samoa

According to various sources, there are from one to three thousand faafafine in Samoa, despite the fact that the total population of the country is about 190,000 people. About 500 faafafine also live in the largest Samoan diaspora in New Zealand. At the same time, outwardly identifying them to strangers will not be so easy - local women also look pretty masculine.

Faafafine beauty contest winner
Faafafine beauty contest winner

Being a faafafine does not mean physically changing your gender. Many faafafiné say that as a child they were completely sure that they were girls. And unlike real girls, they really liked girly clothes and girly games. The fact that "something is wrong" many faafafine begin to guess only in adolescence. And later, as adults, they are extremely negative when they try to impose male social behavior. They sincerely feel that this is too "rude" and "unacceptable" for them.

READ ALSO: The Netherlands has officially recognized the existence of the third sex

Traditionally, faafafine help with household chores, take care of the sick and the elderly
Traditionally, faafafine help with household chores, take care of the sick and the elderly

Men raised as women are not something extraordinary or condemned in Samoan society, and even more so they are not considered homosexuals - after all, in the eyes of the local faafafiné they are a full-fledged third sex. That is why when faafafine is married to a man, it is considered an intergender marriage. Occasionally there is a marriage between a woman and a faafafine. But two faafafinas cannot form a couple - this is strongly condemned and such relations cannot be officially formalized on the island.

An ordinary family in Samoa
An ordinary family in Samoa

In a traditional Samoan family, gender roles are clearly divided: the man earns money, butchering the livestock, and the women preparing food, caring for the animals, raising children, and taking care of the comfort of the home. Thus, when the female hands are not enough to cover all the activities, the newborn boy is "appointed as a girl."

Meeting the faafafine
Meeting the faafafine

In modern society, the tradition of raising faafafine is still relevant. The third sex forms associations, participates in various meetings "only for its own" and periodically also earns on their uniqueness. In particular, some faafafine give concerts for tourists, and physically strong faafafine can do women's work for money in other families, in which there is no such luxury as a "physically strong woman."

Faafafine supporting the local soccer team
Faafafine supporting the local soccer team
Faafafine Association in Samoa
Faafafine Association in Samoa
The tradition of raising boys as girls on the island has been around for centuries
The tradition of raising boys as girls on the island has been around for centuries
Meeting the faafafine
Meeting the faafafine

In addition to Samoa, the tradition of the third sex is also present in other island states: in Hawaii, such people are called "mahu", and on the Cook Islands - "akawaine". You can learn about how people of the third sex live in Pakistan from our articles on this topic.

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