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Petition is successful with 104 signatures
To: Mayor of UThukela District Municipality, Dudu Mazibuko
Stop virginity testing for bursaries
This campaign has ended.
Abolish the ‘Maiden Bursary Award’, which forces recipients to undergo virginity testing. Not only is the test flawed and invasive, it is a complete violation of women’s rights, another way of taking away women’s control of their bodies. If the award is meant to empower women, give it away to women in a way that recognises and protects their dignity.
Why is this important?
Student groups across the country have been calling out for free, quality education for all. Yet right now, women are being forced to give up control of their bodies to access higher education. uThukela District Municipality has introduced a ‘Maidens Bursary Award’, which requires that recipients undergo virginity testing not only to receive it, but also every holiday to ensure they are not sexually active [1].
Virginity testing is an invasive, flawed, traumatising and sexist practice, that has no bearing on whether or not women should be granted bursaries. Add your voice to support women’s rights. We can't let women’s access to education be determined by traumatic, invasive process that strips away women’s control over their bodies.
Together, we can ensure that public funds are not used to discriminate against women and uphold systems that keep women oppressed and unequal in the society in which we live.
[1] Remain a virgin or lose bursary, students warned. Amanda Khoza for Times Live 22 January 2016.
How it will be delivered
We will work with community members to organise a meeting to deliver the campaign signatures to the Mayor. If the Mayor refuses to accept the campaign demands in person, a protest outside her offices will be organised.