Free scholarships for virgins
I can't believe I forgot to blog about this absolute gem of a story. The other day my American friend Robin wrote to me saying that she'd heard the most absurd thing about Sierra Leone, that scholarships were being offered to young girls who chose to remain chaste.
I was surprised she knew about it, in the local media only one paper had covered the story. But apparently it's up on a number of blogs already. So even though I'm late on this, here's my two cents anyway.
In the Biriwa Disrict in northern Sierra Leone, the Biriwa Youth Association for Development (BYAD) claims it has a hundred university scholarships to offer teenage girls who can prove to a community nurse that they are virgins.
The group feels it is a way of curbing teenage pregnancies which is alarmingly high in the region. According to the National Aids Secretariat the district also clocks the highest number of HIV infections in the country.
The funny part is how they intend to enforce chastity. Any young boy "found wanting to impregnate a girl" would be barred from attending school in that part of the country. Also, bikers found guilty of the same would have their bikes compounded.
I have four questions which I would love to throw open:
Why don't the boys get scholarships?
How would a young girl go about proving she's a virgin? I know there are ways, but nothing fool proof
What young boy in his right mind would actually want to impregnate a girl?
Is taking a person's bike away sufficient punishment for having sex with a minor?
I was surprised she knew about it, in the local media only one paper had covered the story. But apparently it's up on a number of blogs already. So even though I'm late on this, here's my two cents anyway.
In the Biriwa Disrict in northern Sierra Leone, the Biriwa Youth Association for Development (BYAD) claims it has a hundred university scholarships to offer teenage girls who can prove to a community nurse that they are virgins.
The group feels it is a way of curbing teenage pregnancies which is alarmingly high in the region. According to the National Aids Secretariat the district also clocks the highest number of HIV infections in the country.
The funny part is how they intend to enforce chastity. Any young boy "found wanting to impregnate a girl" would be barred from attending school in that part of the country. Also, bikers found guilty of the same would have their bikes compounded.
I have four questions which I would love to throw open:
Why don't the boys get scholarships?
How would a young girl go about proving she's a virgin? I know there are ways, but nothing fool proof
What young boy in his right mind would actually want to impregnate a girl?
Is taking a person's bike away sufficient punishment for having sex with a minor?
Hey Sula,
ReplyDeleteInteresting story. I also have given some thought to your questions.
Why don't the boys get scholarships?
Very much one-sided answer but the boys are not the ones that give birth to the children. The chosen solution therefore is tackling one side of the problem. I do think however it's discrimination on basis of gender. However, if this is a bad thing is to be seen.
How would a young girl go about proving she's a virgin?
Good question. There are ways of determining one's virginity. These ways however, are not full-proof.
What young boy in his right mind would actually want to impregnate a girl?
The problem, from my western perspective, is not so much that the young boys want to impregnate a girl on purpose. They want to have sex (maybe stemming from a macho culture in which having sex increases the social status).
Is taking a person's bike away sufficient punishment for having sex with a minor?
I don't think that this solution is sufficient in any kind of way. If they want sex with a minor they will find it.
Well, keep up the good work and we'll be in touch.
Elco