More
than 600 women live in the town of Noiva do Cordeiro, south-east
Brazil. And most of them are aged between 20 and 35 years old.
Now
they have extended an invitation to potential suitors. But don't start
packing your bags just yet - any men who go have to understand that this
corner of the Brazilian countryside is very much a woman's world.
Woman's world: This image from Noiva
do Cordeiro's Facebook page shows two of the town's residents at a
party. They have made an appeal for eligible suitors to woo some of
their dozens of available young women
Shangri-La: More than 600 women live in the town of Noiva do Cordeiro, in a rural part of south-east Brazil
Sisters are doing it for themselves: Their husbands and adult sons work away from home all week long
Some
of Noiva de Cordeiro's women are already married and have families, but
their husbands - and any sons over 18 - are made to work away from home
and only allowed to return at the weekends.
It
means girl power rules in the rural community, with women in charge of
every aspect of life - from farming to town planning and even religion.
And residents say their town is that much the better for it.
'There
are lots of things that women do better than men. Our town is prettier,
more organised, and far more harmonious than if men were in charge,'
said Rosalee Fernandes, 49.
'When problems or disputes arise, we resolve them in a woman's way, trying to find consensus rather than conflict.
'We share everything, even the land we work on. Nobody competes with anyone here. It's all for one, and one for all.
'The
whole town came together recently to help buy a huge widescreen TV for
our community centre so we can all watch soap operas together.
'And there's always time to stop and gossip, try on each other's clothes and do each other's hair and nails.'
Farmer Joan: Women are in charge of every aspect of life in the town, from farming to town planning
'There's always time to stop and gossip': The town's residents say life there is much better without men
But while none of the residents of Noiva do Cordeiro would have it any other way, it has left them with just one problem.
Nelma
Fernandes, 23, admits it's impossible for her neighbours - renowned in
the region as strikingly beautiful - to find a would-be spouse.
'Here,
the only men we single girls meet are either married or related to us,
everyone is a cousin. I haven't kissed a man for a long time,' she said.
'We
all dream of falling in love and getting married. But we like living
here and don't want to have to leave the town to find a husband.'
'We all dream of falling in love': However their rules have made it difficult for single women to find husbands
'But men need to live according to our rules': And the women of Noiva do Cordeiro aren't interested in leaving
The
lack of eligible batchelors has now led the community's many single
young ladies for make an appeal for interested men - but only those
willing to adapt to living in a women's world.
Ms Fernandes said: 'We'd like to get to know men who would leave their own lives and come to be a part of ours.
'But first they need to agree to do what we say and live according to our rules.'
Noiva
do Cordeiro was born in the hills near Belo Vale, in Minas Gerais
state, after founder Maria Senhorinha de Lima was branded an adulterer
after leaving a man she had been forced to marry.
She
was chased out of town in 1891 after the Catholic church excommunicated
her and the next five generations of her family when she shacked up
with another suitor.
Shunned
by the local population, she and other women who subsequently went to
live with them were vilified as loose women and prostitutes, causing
them to isolate themselves from the outside world.
Free: The women of Noiva do Cordeiro
have dispensed with patriarchal Christianity, with one saying 'We don't
need to go to church, get married in front of a priest or baptise our
children. These are rules made up by men
In
1940, an evangelical pastor, Anisio Pereira, took one of the women,
aged 16, to be his wife and founded a church in the growing community.
