SCHOLARSHIP FOR VIRGINS

A South African chairman experienced harsh criticism for his choice to grant school grants to 16 female understudies for remaining virgins.

Chairman Dudu Mazibuko said that the plan is intended to "lessen HIV, Aids and undesirable pregnancy."

The grant was presented for this present year for ladies from the Uthukela locale in the eastern KwaZulu-Natal territory. The candidates intentionally stayed virgins — and consented to have customary virginity tests to keep their financing, Uthukela Mayor Dudu Mazibuko told South African talk radio station 702.

"To us, it's equitable to say thank you for keeping yourself and you can at present keep yourself for the following three years until you get your degree or declaration," Mazibuko said.
The stipends will be re-established "the length of the youngster can create an endorsement that she is still a virgin," she said. The grants concentrate on young ladies since they are more helpless against abuse, high school pregnancy and sexually transmitted ailments, she said.

The grant beneficiaries would have as of now been tried as a feature of a yearly Zulu function, where virgins are pre-chosen to play out a reed move for King Goodwill Zwelithini,
Individuals Opposing Women Abuse, or POWA, an NGO exploring sexual orientation based brutality in Africa, has pushed for conveying a conclusion to virginity testing, expressing that it encroaches on established rights to protection.

"It additionally is an oppressive practice against young ladies as young men are never freely tried for virginity, yet they are gatherings to the reason for loss of virginity," the gathering composed.

The gathering says the practice defames young ladies who are casualties of assault or familial lust — furthermore does not correspond with instructive achievement.
 South Africa's branch of fundamental training recorded around 20,000 pregnancies among young ladies and young ladies in schools in 2014, with 223 pregnant young ladies still in elementary school, as per the South African Broadcasting Corporation. A family review led by Statistics South Africa found that 5.6% of South African females matured 14 to 19 were pregnant in 2013.

"I think the goals of the leader are extraordinary however what we don't concur with is giving bursaries for virginity," said Mfanozelwe Shozi, executive for the Commission for Gender Equality. "There is an issue around separation on the premise of pregnancy, virginity and even against young men. This is going too far."

Virginity testing is not against South Africa's constitution but rather it is fundamental that it is finished with assent, said Shozi.