Virgin bursary – When I first saw this, I thought it was a new cocktail or slang for something that was now trending, truly believing that it could never mean what it says or could it? Virgin bursary?
A virgin bursary is a bursary awarded to a maiden or virgin young woman for maintaining or remaining pure and abstaining from sexual promescuity.It’s believed the girls are regularly examined, to make sure that they are still virgins.The UThukela District Municipality says it created the virgin bursaries to stop the “sugar daddy” dilemma.
Let’s go back to 1956 when 20 000 women marched to the Union Buildings, to protest against women having to carry passes and permits. These laws were enforced to identify women who had no legal right to be within a certain state.
2016…. The “virgin bursary” excludes woman who are deemed to be non virgin’s from attaining financial assistance to persue further study. Yet again laws and conditions have been put in place to oppress our girl children. Dissapointment, embarassment and blame are the feelings those who don’t make the “cut” face.
She was raped. She hates herself enough to now have the world now look at her in shame because she did not qualify. And so she continues to blame herself. With the reality that she has disappointed the family, that she was their hope and now she is another “burden” on them. We could be thankful that this story does not end in suicide or prostitution. Living up to the name she will receive for her failed test. But this isn’t her fault. She is innocent, yet no one cares enough to ask or understand.
She is a gymnast. She has done gymnastics since she was 5. She spends 6 days a week training. She does the splits with ease. She has been an A student through out her high school life. five distinctions: maths, life sciences and economics. She wants to be a chartered accountant, but her domestic-worker mother can’t afford it.
Hymen is a thin tissue which blocks the entry to the vagina, which is also known as the maidenhead.If you are an athlete or exercise a lot, then the hymen can stretch.Even though the hymen gets ruptured due to these exercises, you do not lose virginity. Absence of the hymen doesn’t imply that the woman is not a virgin. The hymen is the “eye” that is checked at these testings to see if a girl is still a maiden.
I’m sure this bursary was put in place in hope of maintaining the purity of our young girls. But why is the responsibility of morality, abstinence and purity soley placed on our girl children? When do our sons get held accountable for their actions?
The emotional element was never taken in to consideration. How they will deal with those who are raped and how accurate is the virginity testing is? How will they protect the dignity of those who do not qualify.
Education is not money to be bartered with. A tit for tat exchange. It is a tool of empowerment, growth and development for individuals , families and communities. Virginity is part of a woman’s dignity, that should not be publicised or an issue to be capitalised
It is good to promote purity and sexual abstinence but this is a community issue, not a gender problem.
Resources:
www?.indiansutras.com/…/can- exercise – …
m.ewn.co.za/…/Powa-slams- bursary- .
Sahistory.org
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Women’s_Day