The Brazil town of Noiva do Cordeiro is inhabited by women only, and the 600 residents are looking for some male counterparts.

According to The Mirror, most of the residents of the town, located in the southeast region of the country, are between the ages of 20 and 35 and are "renowned ... as strikingly beautiful." Some of the women have husbands, but the men work outside of the town and only come home on the weekends. Meanwhile, the women's sons leave the town when they are 18-years-old.

"There are lots of things that women do better than men," Rosalee Fernandes, a 49-year-old community member, said. "Our town is prettier, more organized, and far more harmonious than if men were in charge. 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."

Noiva do Cordeiro was founded by Maria Senhorinha de Lima in the 1890s. She was excommunicated from the Catholic Church amid accusations of adultery after leaving her arranged husband and moved to the area with her family. The next five generations of her family were excommunicated as well.

Eventually, single women, single mothers and those labeled as risqué or prostitutes joined the community. After decades of men trying to change the lifestyle, the residents implemented a "no male" rule.

Now, however, the women regret that their situation prevents them from finding a partner.

"Here, the only men we single girls meet are either married or related to us, everyone is a cousin," Nelma Fernandes, a 23-year-old resident, said. "I haven't kissed a man for a long time. 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."

The women are open to having men join the community, but only if they abide by their customs.

"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," Nelma explained.

In 1940, Anisio Pereira, a male evangelical pastor, married a 16-year-old community member and founded a church in town. He banned the women from cutting their hair, using any birth control, drinking alcohol and listening to music.

Pereira died in 1995, and the women vowed not to let men control the community ever again. They immediately disbanded his patriarchal religious system.

"We have God in our hearts, but we don't think we need to go to church, get married in front of a priest or baptize our children," Rosalee said. "These are rules made up by men."

---

Follow Scharon Harding on Twitter: @ScharHar.