Rape Victims of Virgin Myth
June 6, 2009 by Cherie Burbach
Filed under Women's Health
This story just broke my heart when I read it. I wonder if you’ve heard it, too. In Zimbabwe, there is something called the virgin myth, in which a man infected with HIV or AIDS believes if he has sex with a virgin it will cure his disease. This myth is even “perpetuated by Zimbabwe’s traditional healers” and has “led to the rape of hundreds of girls” including some too young to even walk.
When I first read this story I broke down. To subject these girls to not only the horror of rape but of getting HIV or AIDS is heartbreaking. I’ve been thinking about it ever since.
But here’s something else I’ve been thinking about: a brave woman named Betty Makoni. She was a victim of one of these virgin myth rapes at age 6. For the last ten years, she has tried to protect other young girls from this horror.
She started the Girl Child Network (GCN), which has helped “rescue 35,000 girls from abuse” and also given them a forum to speak out. Betty talks about this group here:
If you’d like to get involved with this group, please visit their website. This amazing group is doing so much good, but they can always use assistance. There are many ways to volunteer or donate.
Image: Zuma Press
