Woman mayor awards scholarships to South African girls who can prove they're virgins

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3415335/Woman-mayor-awards-scholarships-South-African-girls-prove-virgins.html

Alex Matthews for Mail Online reports on a story where a South African mayor has awarded college scholarships to 16 young women for remaining virgins, to encourage others to be 'pure and focus on school' however this can cause controversy as equality groups said it could lead to discrimination based on pregnancy 

Each year the mayor's office awards scholarships to more than 100 promising high school and university students from the area.

The young women who applied for the scholarships voluntarily stayed virgins and agreed to have regular virginity tests to keep their funding, Ms Mazibuko told South African talk radio station 702. 

Ms Mazibuko says To us, it's just to say thank you for keeping yourself and you can still keep yourself for the next three years until you get your degree or certificate.

'The grants will be renewed 'as long as the child can produce a certificate that she is still a virgin,'

A study showed 5.6 percent of South Africans aged 14 to 19 were pregnant.

Virginity testing is not against South Africa's constitution but it is essential that it is done with consent, Shozi explained.

Some activists have called for the banning of virginity testing in South Africa, describing it as sexist and invasive. 

Those defending the cultural practice say it preserves tradition and has been modernised to teach girls about their reproductive health and HIV and AIDS. 

The story is important as it shows how much those in less privileged countries value their education but also show dependent they are on their morals to stay virgins until marriage.