Why Virginity testing reverses the empowerment of women

 

 

 More than 500 bare- breasted virgins and their supporters hold a march in Pietermaritzburg on 14 July 2005 on their way to the Kwazulu-Natal Legislature to protest against the passing of the Children’s Rights Bill approved by the South African National Assembly.The Bill outlaws virginity testing which is practiced in some African traditional communities.The traditionalists called for the practice to continue as it an integral practice of Zulu custom and tradition.Once the Bill is approved, it will effectively make anyone practising the tradition, or parents who give their consent to it will be gulity of an offence. PHOTO:www.rajeshjantilal.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Riverlea, Johannesburg, South Africa, August 20, 2011. Virginity testing is an ancient Zulu and Southern African Nguni custom that was revived in the time of Aids to try and find a way protect young girls from the disease, as many fall victim to rape and abuse. It is also a way to celebrate celibacy in a nation with massive HIV rates. Despiote this, there are many critics who say that it either humiliates the girls or marks them as targets for rape as there is a persistant belief that sleeping with a virgin cleanses one of Aids. This ceremony in dumpland near Soweto was named as Umhlonyana or Sweet 16 ceremony to acknowledge Lerata Ndlela’s adolescence (she turned 15). Two of the girls were found not to be virgins, and Gogo Thembi Sibisi, a scion of Zulu culture, counselled them and sent other group adults to meet with their parents. One of the girls had been raped by an adult neighbour and the other had sex with a boy of the same age – both pre-teenagers.. Photo Greg Marinovich / Storytaxi.

 

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