South African regional health minister Phophi Ramathuba is in hot water after allegedly telling a group of girls in secondary school to "open your books and close your legs" during a recent visit. According to BBC News, Ramathuba delivered the controversial comments while visiting Gwenane secondary school in the township of Sekgakgapeng in an attempt to promote abstinence and help lower teen pregnancy rates.
Doctor Phophi Ramathuba who's also a MEC visited a school in Limpopo this morning telling the girls to close their legs and open their books.
ARE YOU SERIOUS? Is this sex education by our Goverment? Victim Blaming and pushing the narrative? This is disgusting.
@ANCWL_hq
@MYANC
pic.twitter.com/t2knd61TLS— Women For Change (@womenforchange5) January 12, 2022
"To the girl child I say: Open your books, and close your legs. Don't open your legs, open your books. Thank you very much," the health minister allegedly said, according to BBC.
Social media blasts her message to girls
Social media users didn't take too kindly at the aimed message directed solely at the girls at the school. Several chastised the health minister for her approach in teaching abstinence.
"This is not an appropriate way to talk to kids about abuse, sex and consent," one social media user said of the situation.
Imagine arriving on day one at school, you're welcomed by a Gov Health MEC telling you what to do with your legs. Yet, last year hundreds of underage kids were raped by males under lockdown. Nothing so far, has the Gov done anything about. Same government claims equal rights. ????
— uNolali in Mathematical Sciences???????????? (@ThembaletuMbang) January 13, 2022
Politician Siviwe Gwarube chimed in with a tweet.
"This was an opportunity to have a meaningful conversation with these learners about consent… Instead you victim blame. Place undue pressure on girls," Gwarube said.
"We place such a heavy burden of reproductive responsibility on the shoulders of the girl child; from birth control to maternity care to raising a child — we are the automatic default for carrying this mental load. The practice needs to be discouraged on every platform. Ignorance," another person added.
Ramathuba defends her statements
Ramathuba responded to the wave of backlash in an interview with Times Live, saying that her statement was taken out of context in the video shown online.
"I told the boys to focus on their education and not sleep with girls," she said.
She also mentioned that her constituents "appreciated" her address and its overall message.
"They were even saying that they were afraid to say these things and thanked me for calling a spade a spade," she said.
