The KwaZulu-Natal government has come under fire from the Commission for Gender Equality following its announcement on Monday that 12 of its female bursary students would be injected with contraceptives while studying abroad to stop them from falling pregnant.
The 12 students form part of a group of 30 bursary students flying to India to receive pharmaceutical and ultrasonography training.
The KwaZulu-Natal government has claimed it has taken these measures to avoid a repeat of this year’s pregnancy scandal involving students sent to study in Cuba.
The Commission for Gender Equality has spoken out against the move, calling it discriminatory towards female students since no precautionary measure has been suggested for male students.
The reaction to the news on social media has been mixed, ranging from puzzlement;
Media reports that 12 bursary students on way to India made to accept contraceptive implant by KZN health dept…effective for 3 yrs. huh?
— SECTION27 (@SECTION27news) July 30, 2014
to condemnation;
Send kids to study in India. Contraceptive implant for them. Do you think they would say no? Of course not. #Discrimination
— Doctor Sindi (@sindivanzyl) July 30, 2014
to support;
With SA’s skills shortage I say govt is within its rights to impose “closed legs policy”on bursary beneficiaries! #KZNContraceptionDebacle
— tawenigondwexaba (@nyamkhuzi) July 30, 2014
to indifference:
This is why I’m talking about strawberries @sindivanzyl: I’m trying so hard to avoid the #KZNContraceptionDebacle . I don’t want to go there
— Buttercup (@AwkwardlyH) July 30, 2014
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