A South African government minister has slammed as "illegal" a new scholarship scheme for female students who pass virginity tests.
Last month, the uThukela municipality in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province said it would award scholarships to 16 female university students on conditions they remained virgins.
The scheme was intended to "reduce HIV, Aids and unwanted pregnancy" among young girls, said mayor Dudu Mazibuko.
In a colum in today's Daily Maverick, Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini described virginity testing as "ineffective, unhygienic and a gross violation of a girls' human rights".
"Many first sexual encounters are unwanted... Despite this there is a huge stigma attached to girls who 'fail' the virginity testing," she said, calling the grant scheme akin to a "sexual offense".
Ms Dlamini, who is also the head of the governing African National Congress' women's league, is the most senior government official to denounce the scheme.
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