S.Africa region offers study grants for virgin girls

Uthukela municipality, yesterday said it had launched a new grant scheme for girls who remain virgins throughout the course of their university studies, triggering outrage among rights groups. The bursary is the brainchild of municipality’s female mayor Dudu Mazibujo. 

News of the grant scheme sent shockwaves among civil society groups, with one women’s association branding it unconstitutional. Municipality spokesman, Jabulani Mkhonza, says the bursaries are for young girls who are still virgins and it’s a new category which the mayor has introduced this year.

He added that the goal is to encourage young girls to keep themselves pure and inactive from sexual activity and focus on their studies. Beneficiaries of the grant will be subjected to regular virginity tests. Those children who have been awarded bursaries will be checked whenever they come back for holidays. 

The bursary will be taken away if they lose their virginity. The People Opposing Women Abuse (Powa) group, said it was shocked that taxpayers’ money was being used to violate girls’ rights.

The group’s executive director, Nonhlanhla Mokwena, said: “Powa is shocked to hear that young girls are being tested for virginity in order to get bursaries. It’s a violation of their rights. That is taxpayers’ money that is being used to violate girls and the constitution of this country.”…. but let’s thank God we still av virgin girls, I heard Nigeria has none at d moment…..