Scholarships for virgins will reduce HIV, unwanted pregnancy – South African Mayor

The benefiting virgins must submit to frequent virginity tests.
Photo: thefinix.com

A district in South Africa has awarded scholarships to 16 female university students on the condition that they remain virgins until they graduate.
To qualify for the bursary which will be given after graduation, the students are required to undergo regular virginity tests every time they come home on holidays. The tests are reportedly conducted by an elderly woman in the village.

And the community has come under fire for such a programme which many have described as discriminatory.
But the Mayor of Uthukela District Municiplaity, Dudu Mazibuko, does not agree.
He told the BBC that the scheme was meant to “reduce HIV, Aids and unwanted pregnancy” among young girls in the district.
According to him, the programme is meant to encourage young girls to abstain from sex and focus on education. He said:

“There was a study by the health department that [found that] young girls are more vulnerable than boys. There is no pressure at all, in fact this is an incentive because we are talking girls that have taken the decision to keep their virginity,” Mazubuko said.
“Young girls are more vulnerable, they are the ones that fall in love with sugar daddies, get diseases and fall pregnant and then their lives are messed up.”