South Africa, February 03, 2016 – South African Minister for Social Development, Bathabile Dlamini has described the proposed virginity test for scholarship advertised by Ukuthela municipality in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province as illegal and a offensive.
Ukuthela municipality in South Africa had said it would award scholarships to 16 female university students only if they were virgins.
But in an article in Daily Maverick, Dlamini described virginity test as ineffective, unhygienic and a gross violation of a girls’ human rights.
“Many first sexual encounters are unwanted… Despite this there is a huge stigma attached to girls who ‘fail’ the virginity testing,” she said, adding that the program is nothing but a sexual offense.
A South African mayor Dudu Mazibuko had said that the scheme was intended to “reduce HIV, Aids and unwanted pregnancy” among young girls.
