Women's share: how boys become girls in Samoa

When many boys are born in a family in Samoa, one of them is brought up as a girl: they are taught to cook, wash, sew and do other chores around the house. He is called fa'afafine, which translates as "woman"

Samoa is a country in Polynesia consisting of only two large islands, but fa'afafine can be seen everywhere here.

Fa'afafine are considered very hardworking and talented, because they apply masculine strength to women's art.

Five-year-old Zili is brought up in the family as Fa'afafine. But his mother doesn't always dress him like a girl.

Dalaila Sio (above) in her tailoring workshop in the capital city of Apia. Once, Dalaila received the title "Queen of fa'afafine", but decided to take up sewing and open a store "Delilah fashion".

50-year-old Tise has been nursing her brother's children for many years and almost never leaves home.

In Samoan culture, Fa'afafine are fully accepted by society and are not stigmatized. At birth, they are usually given male names, but they are addressed as women, although sometimes they are called representatives of the third sex. In churches, Fa'afafine sit on the female side and participate in divine services on an equal basis with women.

Gustav, like some of his fa'afafine colleagues, performs at the show "Divas of Samoa" in one of the restaurants of the capital. This is a popular song and dance show where fa'afafine sing and dance on stage in extravagant outfits. It attracts many tourists. Samoan divas are often invited to neighboring Fiji and Australia. They already have their fans there.

This Vainalei is dancing on his 21st birthday. For Samoan Fa'afafine, this is the most important date in life, and it is celebrated like a wedding.

They put on wedding dresses and invite all friends and relatives to solemnly celebrate the entry into adulthood.

According to Samoan laws, fa'afafine cannot marry, since the law sees them both as men (by birth) and as women (by status in society) at the same time.

Many of them devote themselves entirely to their profession or public service.

The tradition of fa'afafine in Polynesian culture has existed for thousands of years and is partially spread in some other Polynesian countries.

In the neighboring, richer archipelago, American Samoa, and Fa'afafine live richer. They flaunt more sophisticated outfits and use expensive perfume.

Representatives of the "third sex" often unite in small groups and associations in order not to feel lonely.

Today, there are officially about three thousand Fa'afafine in Samoa, which is 1.5% of the two hundred thousand population of the country.