(Image credit: Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licence)
For many years, tribeswomen from the Kayan tribe of Mynamar had gone over to Thailand to earn a living by posing in tourists' photos. Now, some of these tribeswomen have returned home, trying to make a living by selling handcrafted items at a market.
(Image credit: Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licence)
With the new government, tourism numbers are expected to surge. Before this, the small Kayah state was very much off-limits to foreigners. Now, the government hopes that the region's hills and waterways would be the next top travel destination in Mynamar.
How did these women get long necks?
Well, they do not really get long necks- the neck rings just give an illusion that their necks are long!
For Kayan women, they are given these neck rings to wear from as young as 5 years old. Usually a new one is added every year until adulthood. This gives then a giraffe looking appearance, pressing down on their shoulders and collarbones painfully. A grown woman could wear as many as 25 rings which weighs about 5kg (11 pounds)!
This tradition may have started from a legend to have women wear these neck rings to protect themselves from the many tigers that roamed the region. Tigers usually bite the neck of their prey.
(Image credit: Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licence)
Fewer women wear the neck rings now. These rings forced them to keep looking straight ahead. These rings do not allow for the neck to turn around. Many families also cannot afford these expensive handcrafted rings. Younger generation women also felt that the rings prevent them from getting a job outside of their region.
So now, these tribeswomen make traditional items with hand and can sell these products and souvenirs for a living. It is hoped that with increasing tourism numbers, these tribeswomen can support their families in a new way.
